Bill > HB2070

This bill establishes specific criteria for when the Department of Family and Protective Services can add an individual's name to the central child abuse or neglect registry. The department may only add a name under five distinct circumstances: (1) when a court of competent jurisdiction enters a final order finding child abuse or neglect, or (2) when an individual is found to have abused or neglected a child in specific settings, including child-care facilities, family homes, public or private schools, while a child is in the department's conservatorship, or while a child is on church premises or during church-related activities. The bill applies only to findings made by the department on or after the effective date (September 1, 2025), meaning previous findings will be governed by the law in effect at the time they were made. This legislation appears designed to create more stringent and specific guidelines for adding individuals to the child abuse and neglect registry, ensuring that such additions are based on clear, documented instances of abuse or neglect in defined contexts.

Health and Social Services

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB2070