Texas House bill by Rep. Luther establishes liability for vaccine manufacturers

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Shelley Luther seeks to hold vaccine manufacturers accountable for harm caused by their products, aiming to provide legal recourse for affected individuals after its effective date, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 20 Democrats and 68 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 31 Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, one Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, while 10 Democrats voted against it.

Shelley Luther introduced the bill in the Texas House on Wednesday, Feb. 26, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Luther, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 62nd House district, replacing previous state representative Reggie Smith.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the liability of vaccine manufacturers that advertise a harmful vaccine’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Health and Safety Code to establish liability for vaccine manufacturers if a vaccine they advertise in Texas causes harm or injury to an individual. It stipulates that manufacturers may be held accountable and a court must award actual damages, court costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees to claimants who successfully prove their case. The bill’s provisions apply only to cases that arise after its effective date, set for Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. James Frank (Republican – District 69), Rep. Jeff Leach (Republican – District 67), and Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson (Republican – District 23), along with 75 other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Tuesday, May 27, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.