SB 942 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to a court order for retroactive child support, including for retroactive child support beginning on the date of the child's conception.

This bill changes Texas law to establish a presumption that courts should order retroactive child support beginning on the date of a child's conception, rather than the child's birth. It specifies that courts must determine the earliest conception date using medical evidence (per Health and Safety Code standards) or parental testimony. The bill also allows courts to order obligors to pay an equitable share of prenatal/postnatal health care costs for the mother and child. These changes apply only to paternity orders or acknowledgments of paternity executed on or after the bill's effective date.

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 27, 2025 Last action May 20, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Apr 2, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates Texas child support laws to allow courts to order retroactive child support from the date of a child's conception, rather than from when paternity is established. It also requires courts to pay for prenatal and postnatal healthcare expenses as part of retroactive support orders.

Scope change

The bill expands retroactive child support eligibility to begin at conception and adds healthcare expense recovery requirements.

ELIGIBILITY

Courts can now order retroactive child support starting from the earliest possible date of the child's conception.

REQUIREMENT

Courts must order the father to pay an equitable portion of all prenatal and postnatal healthcare expenses for the mother and child.

The presumption that retroactive support is in the child's best interest now applies to orders beginning at conception.

ENFORCEMENT

Courts must confirm the total amount of retroactive child support owed and render a cumulative money judgment.

TIMELINE

Changes regarding paternity orders and acknowledgments apply only to cases on or after the effective date of September 1, 2025.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 2, 2025

How they voted

26–4

Passed

Total votes 30

Apr 2, 2025

D Democratic10

6 Yea 4 Nay

60% Yea

R Republican20

20 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report sent to Calendars

lower

May 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report distributed

lower

May 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)

lower

May 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Vote reconsidered in committee

lower

May 14, 2025

Committee

Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm.

lower

May 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Recalled from subcommittee

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Committee

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

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced

Received from the Senate

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee report printed and distributed

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably w/o amendments

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

Vote taken in committee

upper

Mar 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

Left pending in committee

upper

Mar 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

Testimony taken in committee

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Committee

Referred to Jurisprudence

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

upper

2 primary · 3 co-sponsors