Bill > SB1135

This bill modifies Texas civil liability laws regarding commercial motor vehicle lawsuits by expanding the definition of "regulation or standard" to include policies and procedures from vehicle owners or operators, and clarifying how evidence of regulatory non-compliance can be introduced in legal proceedings. The bill changes how employer defendants can limit their liability in negligence cases by allowing them to stipulate that the vehicle operator was an employee acting within the scope of employment, which then restricts the plaintiff's ability to present certain types of negligence evidence in the first phase of a bifurcated trial. Specifically, the bill removes previous exceptions related to employer liability and prevents plaintiffs from presenting evidence of ordinary negligence claims against the employer in the first trial phase if the employer makes the specified stipulation. The changes will apply to civil actions commenced on or after September 1, 2025, or to pending cases where new trials begin after that date, effectively providing more protections for commercial motor vehicle employers in negligence lawsuits by limiting the ways plaintiffs can establish employer fault.