Texas House bill by Rep. Hull allows courts to order family counseling in conservatorship conflicts

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Lacey Hull seeks to address conflicts in conservatorship and child possession cases by allowing courts to order family counseling with licensed professionals, aiming to support family dynamics and protect victims in domestic violence situations, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 57 Democrats and 71 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while seven Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposing votes.

Lacey Hull introduced the bill in the Texas House on Wednesday, March 5, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Hull graduated from the University of Houston with a BS.

Hull, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 138th House district, replacing previous state representative Dwayne Bohac.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to court-ordered counseling in certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends Section 153.010 of the Texas Family Code, allowing courts to order family counseling if there is a history of conflict in conservatorship or child possession cases. Counseling must be with a licensed mental health professional knowledgeable in family therapy and family violence dynamics. If domestic violence or abuse is involved, victims cannot be ordered to attend counseling with the offender. The bill prohibits counseling requirements like no-contact orders or custody transfers. If suitable counselors are unavailable locally, courts may appoint qualified individuals. The amendments apply to cases pending or filed after the bill’s effective date, which occurs immediately upon a two-thirds legislative vote or on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. (Democrat – District 142), Rep. Donna Howard (Democrat – District 48), and Rep. Penny Morales Shaw (Democrat – District 148), along with four other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Thursday, May 29, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.