The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Texas HB 1394 waves sovereign immunity for religious freedom civil rights claims and redefines religious organizations
Last action · March 11, 2025: Referred to State AffairsSponsor: Schatzline
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What This Bill Proposed
Texas HB 1394 waives in state and federal courts for civil rights claims under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act while preserving Eleventh Amendment protections, redefines religious organizations based on tax-exempt criteria, and repeals Section 110.011 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code effective September 1, 2025.
The measure establishes that individuals can sue government agencies for damages related to religious freedom violations, changing legal accountability and financial exposure for state and local entities.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Claimants
Claimants are granted the right to sue government agencies for damages in state and federal courts under Section 110.005.
Government agencies
Government agencies lose sovereign immunity from suit and liability to the extent created by Section 110.005.
Religious organizations
Religious organizations are subject to a revised statutory definition referencing Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status criteria.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue a government agency in federal court under this bill?
How does the bill define a religious organization?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Mar 11, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to State Affairs
- Mar 11, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Nov 19, 2024HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Government Liability for Religious Freedom
The bill bridges civil practice statutes with constitutional religious freedom protections by explicitly dismantling sovereign immunity limitations for specific claims.
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy70Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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