HB 4507

bill letting kids 10 and up petition to change names

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 a petition to change the name of a child.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

They file in the county where they live.

This bill lets a child who is at least 10 years old file their own court petition to change their name, in the county where the child lives. It touches children, their parents and guardians, and family courts. When a child files, the court must appoint an attorney ad litem to represent the child's interest at the hearing, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee 10-0 on May 8, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 15, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4507 · 2025-03-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Harold V. Dutton Jr.DHouse 142

ITEM

relating to a petition to change the name of a child.

WHAT IT DOES

They file in the county where they live.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 11, 2025

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the number of case filings that would occur being unknown.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Mar 12, 2025Filed
Apr 3, 2025Read first time
Apr 3, 2025Referred to s/c on Family & Fiduciary Relationships by Speaker
Apr 28, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 28, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 28, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
May 8, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
May 8, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 8, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
May 8, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 12, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 12, 2025Committee report distributed
May 12, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 13, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 15, 2025Placed on General State Calendar

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Harold V. Dutton Jr.

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$66K Texas Sands PAC$58K Charter Schools Now PAC$36K

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 · Jul 29, 2024 to Oct 17, 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.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$65,748.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$65,748.00

Cash: $32,500.00
Paid by others: $33,248.00
Total: $65,748.00

mail $33,248.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 17, 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: 100986461, 101011085, 101033172, 101044523, 101044526, 101072841.

Texas Sands PAC$58,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$58,000.00

Cash: $58,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $58,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Feb 3, 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: 100986461, 101044526.

Charter Schools Now PAC$36,000.00

Charter Schools Now PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $35,000.00
Total: $36,000.00

Other filed descriptions $35,000.00

Also funds 89 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 22, 2026 to Feb 28, 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: 101044523, 101061631.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$65,748.00

Cash: $32,500.00
Paid by others: $33,248.00
Total: $65,748.00

mail $33,248.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 17, 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: 100986461, 101011085, 101033172, 101044523, 101044526, 101072841.

Texas Sands PAC

$58,000.00

Cash: $58,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $58,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Feb 3, 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: 100986461, 101044526.

Charter Schools Now PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $35,000.00
Total: $36,000.00

Other filed descriptions $35,000.00

Also funds 89 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 22, 2026 to Feb 28, 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: 101044523, 101061631.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses1

For: 1
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

Self1 registration

Sources

1 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 first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 11, 2025

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the number of case filings that would occur being unknown.

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 12, 2025

05/15/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Family--Family Violence

Minors--Health & Safety

CHANGED & ASSUMED NAMES

Text

The text as introduced · 170 words

89R15593 KRM-D

By: Dutton
H.B. No. 4507

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a petition to change the name of a child.

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

SECTION 1. Section 45.001, Family Code, is amended to read

as follows:

Sec. 45.001. WHO MAY FILE; VENUE. (a) A parent, managing

conservator, or guardian of a child may file a petition requesting a

change of name of the child in the county where the child resides.

(b) A child who is at least 10 years of age may file a

petition requesting a change of the child's name in the county where

the child resides.

SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 45, Family Code, is

amended by adding Section 45.0025 to read as follows:

Sec. 45.0025. REPRESENTATION OF CHILD PETITIONER. The

court shall appoint an attorney ad litem to represent the interest

of a child who files a petition under Section 45.001(b) at the

hearing.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.