§ 15.0181.Jones Act

Title 2. Trial, Judgment, and Appeal · Subtitle B. Trial Matters · Chapter 15. Venue · Subchapter B. Mandatory Venue · Last amended 2009 · Last verified August 29, 2026

In one sentenceSection 15.0181 gives Jones Act seaman suits a detailed venue scheme keyed to where the events occurred, with Harris and Galveston Counties named expressly for out-of-state inland waters claims.

Full Text of § 15.0181

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

(a)In this section:

(1)"Coastal county" means:

(A)a county in a coastal area, as defined by Section 33.004, Natural Resources Code; or

(B)a county having a United States Customs port through which waterborne freight is transported.

(2)"Coastal erosion" means the loss of land, marshes, wetlands, beaches, or other coastal features because of the actions of wind, waves, tides, storm surges, subsidence, or other forces.

(3)"Erosion response project" means an action intended to address or mitigate coastal erosion, including beach nourishment, sediment management, beneficial use of dredged material, creation or enhancement of a dune, wetland, or marsh, and construction of a breakwater, bulkhead, groin, jetty, or other structure.

(4)"Gulf Coast state" means Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida.

(5)"Inland waters" means the navigable waters shoreward of the navigational demarcation lines dividing the high seas from harbors, rivers, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and other inland waters of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, or Indiana or of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline of Florida from the Florida- Alabama border down to and including the shoreline of Key West, Florida. The term does not include the Great Lakes.

(b)This section applies only to suits brought under the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. Section 30104).

(c)Except as provided by this section, a suit brought under the Jones Act shall be brought:

(1)in the county where the defendant's principal office in this state is located;

(2)in the county in which all or a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred; or

(3)in the county where the plaintiff resided at the time the cause of action accrued.

(d)If all or a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred on the inland waters of this state, ashore in this state, or during the course of an erosion response project in this state, the suit shall be brought:

(1)in the county in which all or a substantial part of the events giving rise to the claim occurred; or

(2)in the county where the defendant's principal office in this state is located.

(e)If all or a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred on inland waters outside this state, ashore in a Gulf Coast state, or during the course of an erosion response project in a Gulf Coast state, the suit shall be brought:

(1)in the county where the defendant's principal office in this state is located if the defendant's principal office in this state is located in a coastal county;

(2)in Harris County unless the plaintiff resided in Galveston County at the time the cause of action accrued;

(3)in Galveston County unless the plaintiff resided in Harris County at the time the cause of action accrued; or

(4)if the defendant does not have a principal office in this state located in a coastal county, in the county where the plaintiff resided at the time the cause of action accrued.

End

Plain-English Summary

The most intricate venue provision in the chapter, and the detail reflects how much maritime litigation Texas draws.

The general rule gives three counties: the defendant's Texas principal office, the county where a substantial part of the events occurred, or the plaintiff's residence at accrual.

Where the events occurred on Texas inland waters, ashore in Texas, or during a Texas erosion response project, the choice narrows to two: the county of the events, or the defendant's Texas principal office. The plaintiff's residence drops out.

Where the events occurred on inland waters outside Texas, ashore in a Gulf Coast state, or during an erosion response project in one, the section names counties directly. The defendant's Texas principal office if it sits in a coastal county; otherwise Harris County unless the plaintiff resided in Galveston County at accrual; Galveston County unless the plaintiff resided in Harris County; and failing all of those, the plaintiff's county of residence.

Naming two counties in a venue statute is unusual. It reflects that Harris and Galveston are where the Texas maritime bar, the ports, and the relevant expertise are — and that a Jones Act claim from Louisiana waters brought by a Texas resident needs a home somewhere sensible.

The definitions carry weight: coastal county means a county in a coastal area or one with a United States Customs port through which waterborne freight moves, and Gulf Coast state means Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does a Jones Act seaman file suit in Texas?

It depends where the events occurred. Generally the defendant's Texas principal office, the county of the events, or the plaintiff's residence at accrual — with narrower rules for Texas inland waters and a specific scheme naming Harris and Galveston Counties for out-of-state inland waters.

Why are Harris and Galveston named in the statute?

They are the counties with the ports, the maritime bar, and the relevant expertise, and the section uses them as the default for claims arising outside Texas waters.

What is a coastal county under this section?

A county in a coastal area as the Natural Resources Code defines it, or a county with a United States Customs port through which waterborne freight is transported.

Which states count as Gulf Coast states?

Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

Amendment History

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 203 (H.B. 1602), Sec. 2, eff. May 24, 2007.
Amended by:
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 5.001, eff. September 1, 2009.

Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from Texas Legislature Online (statutes.capitol.texas.gov). Enacted by the Texas Legislature. Current through May 14, 2026. Last verified August 29, 2026. · Official source