HB 736 — Suing a Detention Operator Over Custody Deaths
Texas would let families sue a detention facility operator over a death or injury in custody and over missing custody records.
Filed 11/09/2026, HB 736 would would let families sue a detention facility operator over a death or injury in custody and over missing custody records.
Most of the writing here is about county jails, where people are held before conviction. That is the room a jail bill changes, and the record it either creates or withholds.
What the report shows
The House report for 11/09/2026 lists HB 736 under author Perez, Vincent, with this caption: “Relating to the liability of a person operating a detention facility in this state for the death of or injury to an individual in custody and for the failure to maintain and disclose custody records; providing a civil cause of action.” Nothing in the report lists a committee, a vote, or a hearing, so this summary does not add any.
What it would mean
Read simply, the caption covers one subject: the jail and custody question named in it. The report does not list money amounts, dates other than the filing date, or any agency findings, and this summary does not supply them. The caption itself: “Relating to the liability of a person operating a detention facility in this state for the death of or injury to an individual in custody and for the failure to maintain and disclose custody records; providing a civil cause of action.”
Author: Perez, Vincent. Filed: 11/09/2026.
What to watch next
This bill is at the filing stage. The history page linked below is the place to check for committee action, and until there is action there, no one can say what the law will be.
Sources: Texas Legislature, Today's Filed Bills in the House (11/09/2026), HB 736 caption and author; Bill history for HB 736.