Texas House bill by Rep. Hull updates grounds for termination of parent-child relationship

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Lacey Hull aims to clarify grounds for termination of parent-child relationships and define neglect in child custody, focusing on protecting parental decisions unless significant risk to the child exists, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 58 Democrats and 87 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Democrat 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 Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

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 neglect of a child and the grounds for termination of the parent-child relationship and possession of a child by the Department of Family and Protective Services’.

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

In essence, this bill amends the Texas Family Code to clarify and update the grounds for the termination of the parent-child relationship and define neglect regarding child custody by the Department of Family and Protective Services. It specifies that certain circumstances, such as a parent’s homeschooling, economic status, nonviolent misdemeanor charges, provision of prescribed low-THC cannabis, or refusal to immunize a child for reasons of conscience, do not constitute neglect or grounds for termination. The bill emphasizes that parental decisions regarding alternative health care, medical opinions, independent activities for children, and refusal of psychotropic medications should not solely be grounds for termination unless these decisions present significant risks to the child. The bill takes effect Sept. 1, 2025, applying to suits filed on or after that date.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Steve Toth (Republican – District 15), Rep. Will Metcalf (Republican – District 16), and Rep. Cody Harris (Republican – District 8), along with three other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Wednesday, May 14, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday, May 28.

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.