Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate committee advances bill expanding civil liability for student abuse by school employees
Summary
The Senate Committee on Education K‑16 unanimously advanced a committee substitute for House Bill 4623 that would allow civil claims against Texas public schools and professional school employees for certain student abuse, align damages and standards with the Tort Claims Act, and add guardrails intended to limit frivolous suits.
A Senate committee on education advanced a committee substitute for House Bill 4623 on a unanimous vote, creating a new path for civil claims against Texas public schools and professional school employees in cases of certain misconduct involving students.
The substitute, explained by sponsor Sen. Jane Paxton, narrows the new cause of action to acts occurring after the bill—s effective date, aligns liability with Tort Claims Act standards and first-responder gross negligence, limits joint-and-several liability, adds two-way recovery of attorney—s fees for meritless claims, and preserves a $500,000 damage cap per claimant.
The change matters because it would permit civil suits in circumstances the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
