HB 4336

safe-haven law covers hospital employees after a birth

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the emergency possession of a newborn by employees of a hospital.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Staff take the baby without a court order.

The bill adds language to the Texas safe-haven law saying a parent can hand over a newborn to a hospital employee right after giving birth there. It touches mothers who give birth in a hospital and the hospital staff who must then take the baby without a court order. On the ground, a mother who delivers in a hospital can surrender the infant on the spot under the same safe-haven process as one who walks in later.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 4 Republicans, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Human Services committee 8-0 on May 6, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 13, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4336 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Rep. David CookRHouse 96

Rep. Ellen TroxclairRHouse 19

Rep. Caroline Harris DavilaRHouse 52

+ 2 more authors, 10 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the emergency possession of a newborn by employees of a hospital.

WHAT IT DOES

Staff take the baby without a court order.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 28, 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

Mar 11, 2025Filed
Apr 1, 2025Read first time
Apr 1, 2025Referred to Human Services
Apr 29, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 29, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 29, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 29, 2025Left pending in committee
May 6, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 6, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 9, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 9, 2025Committee report distributed
May 9, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 11, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 13, 2025Placed on General State Calendar

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

David Cook

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$350K GOPAC Election Fund$115K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$60K

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 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$350,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$350,000.00

Cash: $350,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $350,000.00

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 24, 2025 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.

Report IDs: 101012315, 101037124, 101037559, 101066332, 101070691.

GOPAC Election Fund$115,000.00

GOPAC Election Fund

$115,000.00

Cash: $115,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $115,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 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: 101066332.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$60,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$60,000.00

Cash: $60,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $60,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 12, 2025 to Jul 16, 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: 101037124, 101037559, 101066332.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$350,000.00

Cash: $350,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $350,000.00

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 24, 2025 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.

Report IDs: 101012315, 101037124, 101037559, 101066332, 101070691.

GOPAC Election Fund

$115,000.00

Cash: $115,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $115,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 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: 101066332.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$60,000.00

Cash: $60,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $60,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 12, 2025 to Jul 16, 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: 101037124, 101037559, 101066332.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses15

For: 13
Against: 1
On: 1

Names

For

Self3 registrations
Self; True Texas Projecr1 registration
Self; True Texas Project2 registrations
Self; True Texas project1 registration
Self; True texas project3 registrations
Texas Health Resources1 registration
Texas Hospital Association1 registration
Texas Medical Association1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

On

DFPS Resource Witness1 registration

Sources

15 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.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 28, 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 Mar 11, 2025

05/13/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

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

Coauthors

Elizabeth "Liz" CamposDHouse 119

Aicha DavisDHouse 109

James FrankRHouse 69

Josey GarciaDHouse 124

Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

Terri Leo WilsonRHouse 23

AJ LouderbackRHouse 30

J. M. LozanoRHouse 43

Candy NobleRHouse 89

Claudia OrdazDHouse 79

House committee · Human Services · Committee vote 8 aye, 0 nay, 3 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Family--Child Protection

Health Care Providers

Health--Emergency Services & Personnel

Health--General

Minors--Health & Safety

PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH

Text

The text as introduced · 158 words

89R11226 DNC-D

By: Cook
H.B. No. 4336

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the emergency possession of a newborn by employees of a

hospital.

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

SECTION 1. Section 262.302(a), Family Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) A designated emergency infant care provider shall,

without a court order, take possession of a child who appears to be

60 days old or younger if:

(1) the child is voluntarily delivered to the provider

by the child's parent by:

(A) leaving the child with an employee of the

provider , including surrendering a child to an employee of a

hospital immediately after giving birth to the child ; or

(B) placing the child in a newborn safety device

located inside the provider's facilities; and

(2) the parent did not express an intent to return for

the child.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.