HB 2399: bill makes judges write out facts behind child protection findings

Caption

relating to procedures and required findings in certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship.

Summary

Specific facts, in a separate section of the order.

The bill requires Texas judges in child protection cases to write out, in a separate section of their orders, the specific facts behind certain required findings, including a finding that a child's parents are unwilling or unable to provide a safe environment. It touches parents, children, the state child welfare agency and the courts handling suits affecting the parent-child relationship. Judges can no longer satisfy these findings by simply pointing to or incorporating the case record, starting September 1, 2025, and the rule applies to pending cases too.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 16, 2025. Died in the Senate: voted out of the Health & Human Services committee 8-0, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2399 · 2025-02-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Terri Leo WilsonRHouse 23

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to procedures and required findings in certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship.

WHAT IT DOES

Specific facts, in a separate section of the order.

The bill requires Texas judges in child protection cases to write out, in a separate section of their orders, the specific facts behind certain required findings, including a finding that a child's parents are unwilling or unable to provide a safe environment. It touches parents, children, the state child welfare agency and the courts handling suits affecting the parent-child relationship. Judges can no longer satisfy these findings by simply pointing to or incorporating the case record, starting September 1, 2025, and the rule applies to pending cases too.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 23, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Feb 4, 2025Filed
Mar 14, 2025Read first time
Mar 14, 2025Referred to s/c on Family & Fiduciary Relationships by Speaker
Mar 24, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Mar 24, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Mar 24, 2025Committee substitute considered in s/c
Mar 24, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Mar 24, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 28, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 8, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 8, 2025Committee report distributed
May 9, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 10, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 12, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 15, 2025Read 2nd time
May 15, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 15, 2025Record vote RV#2776
May 16, 2025Read 3rd time
May 16, 2025Passed
May 16, 2025Record vote RV#2879
May 16, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 16, 2025Reported engrossed
May 19, 2025Received from the House
May 19, 2025Read first time
May 19, 2025Referred to Health & Human Services
May 22, 2025Posting rule suspended
May 23, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
May 23, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 23, 2025Testimony taken in committee
May 23, 2025Left pending in committee
May 26, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 26, 2025Vote taken in committee
May 26, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
May 26, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
May 28, 2025Placed on intent calendar

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 95 yea · 30 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 16, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terri Leo Wilson

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$525K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$50K Dustin Burrows Campaign$45K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$525,040.28

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$525,040.28

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $460,040.28
Total: $525,040.28

advertising $253,649.00mail $170,891.28polling $35,500.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Aug 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100994567, 101011936, 101042004, 101042009, 101070547.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$50,000.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$50,000.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $50,000.00
Total: $50,000.00

canvassing $50,000.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Feb 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101042009.

Dustin Burrows Campaign$45,000.00

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$45,000.00

Cash: $35,000.00
Paid by others: $10,000.00
Total: $45,000.00

polling $10,000.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 31, 2025 to Feb 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101011936, 101028233, 101042004.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$525,040.28

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $460,040.28
Total: $525,040.28

advertising $253,649.00mail $170,891.28polling $35,500.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Aug 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100994567, 101011936, 101042004, 101042009, 101070547.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$50,000.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $50,000.00
Total: $50,000.00

canvassing $50,000.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Feb 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101042009.

×

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$45,000.00

Cash: $35,000.00
Paid by others: $10,000.00
Total: $45,000.00

polling $10,000.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 31, 2025 to Feb 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101011936, 101028233, 101042004.

Votes2

House May 16, 2025

Yea: 95
Nay: 30
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 5
Excused: 18

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2879

HB 2399 was passed by (Record 2879): 95 Yeas, 30 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 95 (published)
Nay: 30 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 18 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 15, 2025

Yea: 103
Nay: 39
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 2
Excused: 5

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2776

CSHB 2399 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2776): 103 Yeas, 39 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 103 (published)
Nay: 39 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses9

For: 7
Against: 1
On: 1

Names

For

Family Freedom Project1 registration
Self3 registrations
Self; Family Freedom Project1 registration
Self; Texas Association of Family Defense Attorneys1 registration
Texas CASA1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

On

Self1 registration

Sources

9 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 23, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 4, 2025

05/28/2025 S Placed on intent calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed · Senate Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Helen KerwinRHouse 58

Companion

SB 1093 by Sparks (identical)

Subjects

Courts--General

Family--Child Protection

Family--Parent & Child

EVIDENCE

Text

The text as introduced · 259 words

By: Leo Wilson
H.B. No. 2399

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to procedures and required findings in certain suits

affecting the parent-child relationship.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 263.002, Family Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

(c-1) In making the required findings under Subsection (c),

the court shall include the findings in a separate section of its

order and enumerate with specificity the facts and the

circumstances that serve as the basis for the court's findings.

Merely citing the record of the proceedings or incorporating it by

reference is insufficient to meet the requirements of this

subsection.

SECTION 2. Section 263.306, Family Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (a-2) to read as follows:

(a-2) If the court determines under Subsection (a-1)(6)

that the child's parents are unwilling or unable to provide the

child with a safe environment, the court shall include in a separate

section of its order written findings describing with specificity

the facts and the circumstances that serve as the basis for the

court's determination that the child's parents are unwilling or

unable to provide the child with a safe environment. Merely citing

the record of the proceedings or incorporating it by reference is

insufficient to meet the requirements of this subsection.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an

action that is pending on or filed on or after the effective date of

this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

Dustin Burrows Campaign

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

Dustin Burrows Campaign

House May 16, 2025

House May 15, 2025

For

Against

On

Companion