Texas House bill by Rep. Hull increases penalties for violations of court orders in family violence cases

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Lacey Hull aims to strengthen criminal penalties related to violations of court orders in cases involving family violence, child abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking, reflecting a legislative focus on enhancing protections in these areas, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 50 Democrats and 84 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

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

Lacey Hull introduced the bill in the Texas House on Friday, Jan. 24, 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 increasing the criminal penalty for certain violations of certain court orders or conditions of bond in cases involving family violence, child abuse or neglect, sexual assault or abuse, indecent assault, stalking, or trafficking’.

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

In essence, this bill aims to increase the criminal penalties for violations of certain court orders or conditions of bond in cases involving family violence, child abuse or neglect, sexual assault or abuse, indecent assault, stalking, or trafficking. It amends sections of the Penal Code to classify the offenses as a Class A misdemeanor, state jail felony, third-degree felony, or second-degree felony, depending on specific circumstances such as prior convictions or the use of a deadly weapon during the violation. The bill specifies that the changes apply only to offenses committed on or after Sept. 1, 2025, with offenses committed before this date governed by the law in effect at the time of the offense.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Monday, May 26, 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.