TX SB948

Courts must automatically make residential eviction case records confidential when judgment favors the tenant, the case is dismissed without relief to the landlord, or when a tenant not in default is evicted following a foreclosure

Tenants may petition to have eviction records made confidential after 5 years from final judgment, or if they were evicted following foreclosure while not in default, or if a confidentiality order was not issued when they won the case or it was dismissed

Eviction case information must be made confidential during the pendency of any appeal

Credit reporting agencies, tenant screening companies, and those who sell eviction data are prohibited from disclosing confidential eviction cases or using that information in tenant screening reports, except as permitted by federal law

Violators face liability for actual damages or up to $1,000 in exemplary damages, plus reasonable attorney's fees up to $10,000 and court costs; the bill takes effect September 1, 2025