Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to vexatious litigation and providing penalties
Sponsored by Sen. Adrian Dickey (R)
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 12, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 17, 2025
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary People who file or defend lawsuits in bad faith or without a reasonable legal reason could face criminal penalties. This change would make such actions a serious misdemeanor, which can lead to up to one year in jail and a fine.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to vexatious litigation and provides for penalties. The bill provides that a person commits a serious misdemeanor if the person or the person’s counsel files, brings, defends, or asserts a civil claim in bad faith or with no reasonable basis in law or fact. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560.
Senate subcommittee
Named February 17, 2025. On February 25, 2025 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part