Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Funeral industry seeks limits on mental-anguish lawsuits; trial lawyers, families oppose proposed cap
Summary
Senate committee heard competing testimony on Senate Bill 2027, a measure that would set standards for mental-anguish claims involving funeral service providers and raise a statutory cap in the committee substitute; supporters cite insurance and small-business risk, opponents cite recent investigative reports of mishandled remains.
Senators considered Senate Bill 2027, which would amend the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to define standards and limits for mental-anguish claims against funeral service providers. The committee substitute circulated in the hearing increased a statutory cap on awards and established an elevated mental-anguish threshold for recoveries tied to mishandling of human remains.
Supporters from the funeral industry said the measure was necessary to protect small, community-based funeral homes from a surge in litigation and sharply rising insurance costs. Bill Valley, representing the Texas Funeral Directors Association, said small rural funeral homes cover vast areas and that litigation exposure threatens their financial viability.…
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
