Texas Senate bill by Sen. Schwertner grants immunity to ringside physicians at combative sports events

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Charles Schwertner seeks to provide legal immunity to ringside physicians at combative sports events for actions within their professional duties, except in cases of gross negligence, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the House, 56 Democrats and 85 Republicans voted in favor, while one Democrat voted against it.

Charles Schwertner introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Friday, Jan. 17, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Schwertner graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS.

Schwertner, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2013 to represent the state’s 5th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Steve Ogden.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to immunity for ringside physicians assigned to combative sports events’.

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 Occupations Code to grant immunity from civil liability to ringside physicians at combative sports events for acts within their professional responsibilities, except in cases of gross negligence. The intent is likely to protect physicians from legal repercussions while performing their duties, encouraging their participation in such events. The provided immunity only applies to actions initiated on or after the bill’s effective date. The bill is set to take effect immediately if it secures a two-thirds majority vote in both legislative houses; otherwise, it will take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. Royce West (Democrat – District 23).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Monday, May 12, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday, May 24.

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.