SB 370 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the availability of certain personal information of a child, spouse, or surviving spouse of a current or former employee of the office of the attorney general or of a public defender's office.

SB 370 amends Texas public records law to protect the home address, phone number, and social security number of spouses, children, or surviving spouses of current or former employees in the Attorney General's office or Public Defender's office from public disclosure. It adds these family members to an existing exemption list that already covers law enforcement personnel, ensuring their personal information remains confidential. The bill directly affects family members of these specific government employees by preventing their sensitive details from being accessible through public records requests. This change became effective September 1, 2025, after Governor's signature on June 20, 2025.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Nov 2024

Committee Review

May 2025

Senate Passage

May 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Signed into Law

Jun 2025

Introduced Nov 14, 2024 Signed Jun 20, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed → Enrolled · 6 edits · Jun 20, 2025

MODERATE

This bill expands privacy protections for personal information of public safety personnel and their families. It adds new categories of protected individuals including firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, and public defenders, while also clarifying definitions of family members across multiple state codes. The changes apply to information requests made on or after September 1, 2025.

Scope change

The bill significantly broadens the scope of protected individuals from primarily law enforcement and legal professionals to include first responders (firefighters, EMS) and public defenders, while maintaining the core protection of personal information for existing categories.

ELIGIBILITY

Added firefighters, volunteer firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel to the list of individuals whose personal information is protected from public disclosure.

Added current or former employees of public defenders' offices to the protected categories.

Reorganized and renumbered the list of protected individuals in multiple sections to accommodate new categories while maintaining existing protections.

DEFINITION

Clarified and standardized the definition of 'family member' across multiple sections to include minor children, adult children, spouses, and surviving spouses.

REQUIREMENT

Added new subsections requiring confidentiality for information submitted under specific forms and allowing redaction without attorney general approval.

TIMELINE

Established September 1, 2025 as the effective date for the new privacy protections.

Floor votes · House May 22, 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

Amendments

Jun 20, 2025

Signed into law

Signed by the Governor

executive

May 26, 2025

Lower · Passed

Signed in the House

lower

May 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

Signed in the Senate

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

House passage reported

upper

May 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

May 22, 2025

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (139-0-5)

house

May 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report sent to Calendars

lower

May 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report distributed

lower

May 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Left pending in committee

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Committee

Referred to Delivery of Government Efficiency

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

lower

Mar 12, 2025

Introduced

Received from the Senate

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed

upper

Mar 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed to engrossment as amended

upper

Mar 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

Amended

upper

Mar 11, 2025

Introduced

Amendment(s) offered

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee report printed and distributed

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably w/o amendments

upper

Feb 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

Vote taken in committee

upper

Feb 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

Left pending in committee

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Committee

Referred to Business & Commerce

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors