HB 4333 — Relating to prohibitions on deceptive and unfair practices related to financial institutions discriminating in the provision of financial services to consumers and other persons.

Summary

Relating to prohibitions on deceptive and unfair practices related to financial institutions discriminating in the provision of financial services to consumers and other persons.

Bill Text

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends the Texas statutes.

• PROHIBITION ON FINANCIAL SERVICES DISCRIMINATION Sec. 121.001. DEFINITIONS. (a) In this chapter: (1) "Discriminate in the provision of financial services" means utilizing a social credit score to directly or indirectly decline to provide full and equal enjoyment in the provision of financial services, and includes refusing to provide, terminating, or restricting financial services. (2) "Financial institution" means (A) A bank that has total assets over $100,000,000,000; or (B) A payment processor, credit card company, credit card network, payment network, payment service provider, or payment gateway that has processed more than $100,000,000,000 in transactions in the last calendar year. For purposes of subsections (A) and (B), a financial institution includes any affiliate or subsidiary company, even if that affiliate or subsidiary is also a financial institution. (3) "Financial service" means any financial product or service offered by a financial institution. (4) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, joint stock company, trust, corporation, nonprofit organization, or other business or legal entity. (5) "Protected from government interference" refers to any speech, religious exercise, association, expression, or conduct that is protected by the First Amendment other than activities that the Supreme Court of the United States has expressly held are unprotected as of the date of this legislation, such as obscenity, fraud, incitement, true threats, fighting words, or defamation. (6) "Social credit score" means any analysis, rating, scoring, list, or tabulation that evaluates any of the following: (A) any person's exercise of religion that is protected from government interference by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, article 1, sections 6 and 6-a of Texas's Constitution, or federal or state law, including all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief and affiliation; (B) any person's speech, expression, or association that is protected from government interference by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or article 1, section 8 of Texas's Constitution, or federal or state law, including the person's opinions, speech, or other expressive activities, including the lawful preservation of privacy regarding those activities, such as the refusal to disclose lobbying, political activity, or contributions beyond what is required by applicable state and federal law; (C) failure or refusal to adopt any targets or disclosures related to greenhouse gas emissions beyond what is required by applicable state and federal law; (D) failure or refusal to conduct any type of racial, diversity, or gender audit or disclosure or to provide any sort of quota, preference, or benefit based, in whole or in part, on race, diversity, or gender; (E) failure or refusal to facilitate or assist employees in obtaining abortions or gender transition services; or (F) except as provided in Subsection (b), participation in the following lawful business associations or business activities: (a) business activity by the person or others with firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories manufacturers or dealers; or (b) business activity by the person or others with an entity that engages in the exploration, production, utilization, transportation, sale, or manufacturing of fossil fuel sources or fossil-fuel-based energy. (b) For the purposes of Subsection (F) only, "social credit score" does not include the financial institution evaluating quantifiable financial risks of a person based on impartial, financial-risk-based standards that includes activities described in Subsection (F), if such standards are established in advance by the financial institution and publicly disclosed to customers and potential customers. (c) These definitions shall be construed in favor of the broad protection of the conduct, opinions, and beliefs protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, a

  amended

Action History

1. April 01, 2025

   Referred to Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

2. April 01, 2025

   Read first time

3. March 11, 2025

   Filed

Sponsors

• Richard Hayes · Primary

Subjects