Proposing a constitutional amendment affirming the rights and responsibilities of parents.
SJR 34 proposes adding Section 37 to the Texas Constitution to affirm parents' inherent right to make decisions about their children's upbringing, including care, custody, and control. It states the state cannot interfere with these parental rights unless the interference is essential for a compelling government interest and narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. If passed, this constitutional amendment would require voter approval in the November 2025 election, with the ballot phrased as supporting "parents as the primary decision-makers for their children." The bill directly affects parents' legal authority over child-rearing decisions and sets new constitutional limits on state intervention.
Bill status
passed both
4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2025
Last action May 21, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Engrossed
→
Enrolled
·
4 edits
·
May 21, 2025
MODERATE
The bill text was reformatted from a legislative draft to an enrolled version, adding certification signatures and dates while updating the constitutional language to emphasize parental responsibility alongside rights. The core policy content remains substantively the same, with minor wording adjustments to the ballot proposition text.
Scope change
No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; changes are primarily formatting and certification documentation.
TECHNICAL
Header changed from draft format to enrolled version with bill number 89(R) and proper formatting.
Added certification signatures and dates for Senate and House adoption, including vote counts and concurrence dates.
Updated preamble language to emphasize 'responsibilities of parents' alongside rights.
Revised ballot proposition wording from 'establishing parents as the primary decision-makers' to 'affirming that parents are the primary decision makers'.
Floor votes · House May 14, 2025
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
50
Key actions
13
Committee
10
Amendments
4
May 21, 2025
Introduced
Filed with the Secretary of State
executive
May 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
May 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
May 21, 2025
Introduced
Senate concurs in House amendment(s)-reported
lower
May 20, 2025
Introduced
Senate concurs in House amendment(s)
upper
May 20, 2025
Introduced
House amendment(s) laid before the Senate
upper
May 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
House passage as amended reported
upper
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Adopted
lower
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
May 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Mar 25, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
lower
Mar 25, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
Mar 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Feb 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
Feb 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to State Affairs
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
6 primary · 9 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Bryan Hughes
RRepublican
P
Giovanni Capriglione
RRepublican
P
James Frank
RRepublican
P
James Talarico
DDemocratic
P
Jeff Leach
RRepublican
P
Lacey Hull
RRepublican
Co
Angela Paxton
RRepublican
Co
Bob Hall
RRepublican
Co
Brandon Creighton
RRepublican
Co
Brent Hagenbuch
RRepublican
Co
Helen Kerwin
RRepublican
Co
Jared Patterson
RRepublican
Co
Joanne Shofner
RRepublican
Co
Lois Kolkhorst
RRepublican
Co
Terri Leo-Wilson
RRepublican
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