HB 116 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to grounds for the involuntary termination of the parent-child relationship.

HB 116 modifies Texas Family Code provisions regarding parental support obligations after a court terminates a parent's rights. It requires financially able parents whose rights were terminated (under specific grounds like abandonment, endangerment, or failure to support) to provide child support until the child turns 18, graduates high school, is adopted, or reaches legal adulthood - whichever occurs first. The bill also clarifies the legal grounds for termination, including cases where parents left children without support for 3-6 months, endangered children's well-being, or abandoned children during pregnancy. This directly affects parents whose rights were terminated under Family Code Sections 161.001(b)(1)(S), (T), or (U), and children in foster care or substitute care. The law took effect September 1, 2025.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

May 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Mar 14, 2025 Signed May 28, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed → Enrolled · 7 edits · May 28, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends the Texas Family Code to update the grounds for involuntary termination of parental rights, adding new circumstances under which a parent's rights can be terminated while removing or modifying several existing provisions. The changes expand the legal basis for terminating parental rights in cases involving substance abuse, criminal conduct, and abandonment scenarios.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of termination grounds to include new categories related to substance abuse treatment failure, criminal confinement preventing child care, and specific crimes against the other parent, while removing some previous grounds.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new grounds for termination including failure to complete court-ordered substance abuse treatment or continued substance abuse after treatment completion.

Added termination grounds when a parent is convicted of crimes resulting in confinement that prevents them from caring for the child for at least two years.

Added new grounds including murder or sexual assault of the other parent, and online solicitation of minors.

Modified the constructive abandonment ground to require the child to have been in DFW conservatorship for at least six months rather than nine months.

Removed the provision regarding failure to comply with court orders for child return after nine months of removal.

Reorganized and renumbered the list of criminal offenses that can lead to termination of parental rights.

TIMELINE

Added effective date of September 1, 2025 for the new provisions.

Floor votes · House Apr 24, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 28, 2025

Signed into law

Signed by the Governor

executive

May 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

Signed in the Senate

upper

May 15, 2025

Lower · Passed

Signed in the House

lower

May 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Senate passage reported

lower

May 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed

upper

May 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee report printed and distributed

upper

May 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably w/o amendments

upper

May 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Vote taken in committee

upper

May 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Left pending in committee

upper

May 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Testimony taken in committee

upper

Apr 29, 2025

Committee

Referred to Health & Human Services

upper

Apr 29, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

upper

Apr 28, 2025

Introduced

Received from the House

upper

Apr 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

Apr 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed to engrossment

lower

Apr 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report sent to Calendars

lower

Apr 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report distributed

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Recalled from subcommittee

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Left pending in subcommittee

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to s/c on Family & Fiduciary Relationships by Speaker

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

lower

3 primary · 1 co-sponsor