Bill Text: TX HB1973 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to proof of the identity of a child's parents in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2025-06-20 - Effective on 9/1/25 [HB1973 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB1973-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 1973 | ||
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| relating to proof of the identity of a child's parents in a suit | ||
| affecting the parent-child relationship. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 102.008, Family Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsection (d) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (c-1) The petitioner shall additionally submit to the court | ||
| a certified copy of the child's birth certificate if available to | ||
| the petitioner. If a certified copy of the child's birth | ||
| certificate is not available to the petitioner, the court at any | ||
| time during the pendency of the suit may request another party to | ||
| whom a certified copy of the child's birth certificate is available | ||
| to submit a copy to the court. A certified copy of the child's birth | ||
| certificate submitted under this subsection must be submitted for | ||
| filing under seal and filed separately from any other document. If | ||
| a certified copy of the child's birth certificate is not available | ||
| to any party or if the copy does not name both of the child's | ||
| parents, the court may request from any party at any time during the | ||
| pendency of the suit alternative proof of the identity of the | ||
| child's parents. The court shall seal or otherwise keep | ||
| confidential any certificate or other proof submitted under this | ||
| subsection, as applicable. | ||
| (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if | ||
| the Title IV-D agency files a petition in a suit affecting the | ||
| parent-child relationship, the agency is not required to: | ||
| (1) include in the petition the statement described by | ||
| Subsection (b)(11); [ |
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| (2) attach copies of the documentation described by | ||
| Subsection (c); or | ||
| (3) submit to the court a copy of a child's birth | ||
| certificate or other proof of the identity of the child's parents as | ||
| described by Subsection (c-1). | ||
| SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a | ||
| suit affecting the parent-child relationship that is filed on or | ||
| after the effective date of this Act. A suit affecting the | ||
| parent-child relationship filed before the effective date of this | ||
| Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the suit was filed, | ||
| and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 1973 was passed by the House on May 2, | ||
| 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 133, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 1973 on May 30, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 133, Nays 2, | ||
| 2 present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 1973 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 28, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
| 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
