Monitoring the Session

HB 4631

bill sending juvenile preliminary investigations to the court

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

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 preliminary investigation conducted when a child is referred to juvenile court.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Intake officers hand the first look to a juvenile court.

This bill changes who runs the first look at a juvenile case: instead of the intake or probation officer doing the preliminary investigation, that officer must now send the case to a juvenile court to do it. It touches children referred to juvenile court, their families, intake and probation officers, and juvenile judges. On the ground, the court, not the officer, decides whether there is probable cause and whether a child under 12 should be sent to community services, and the bill repeals Section 52.04(c) of the Family Code, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 12, 2025 and referred to the House Criminal Jurisprudence subcommittee on Juvenile Justice. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4631 · 2025-03-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

ITEM

relating to the preliminary investigation conducted when a child is referred to juvenile court.

WHAT IT DOES

Intake officers hand the first look to a juvenile court.

This bill changes who runs the first look at a juvenile case: instead of the intake or probation officer doing the preliminary investigation, that officer must now send the case to a juvenile court to do it. It touches children referred to juvenile court, their families, intake and probation officers, and juvenile judges. On the ground, the court, not the officer, decides whether there is probable cause and whether a child under 12 should be sent to community services, and the bill repeals Section 52.04(c) of the Family Code, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to lack of case-level data.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 13, 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

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to s/c on Juvenile Justice by Speaker
  4. Posting rule suspended
  5. Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
  6. No action taken in subcommittee
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Hillary Hickland

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$310KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$135KCourt Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25K

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 31, 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$310,226.49

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$260,226.49
Total
$310,226.49
mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

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 30, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$135,152.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$125,152.00
Total
$135,152.00
canvassing $125,152.00

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 · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 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: 101069141.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 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: 101069141.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$260,226.49
Total
$310,226.49
mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

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 30, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$125,152.00
Total
$135,152.00
canvassing $125,152.00

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 · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 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: 101069141.

×

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 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: 101069141.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to lack of case-level data.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 13, 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 12, 2025

04/14/2025 H No action taken in subcommittee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Crimes--Juvenile

Family--Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile Boards & Officers

Text

The text as introduced · 319 words

89R16301 CJD-D

By: Hickland
H.B. No. 4631

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the preliminary investigation conducted when a child is

referred to juvenile court.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 53.01(a) and (b-1), Family Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) On referral of a person believed to be a child or on

referral of the person's case to the office or official designated

by the juvenile board, the intake officer, probation officer, or

other person authorized by the board shall forward the case to a

juvenile court to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine

whether:

(1) the person referred to juvenile court is a child

within the meaning of this title; and

(2) there is probable cause to believe the person:

(A) engaged in delinquent conduct or conduct

indicating a need for supervision; or

(B) is a nonoffender who has been taken into

custody and is being held solely for deportation out of the United

States.

(b-1) The juvenile court that [ person who ] is conducting the

preliminary investigation shall, as appropriate, refer the child's

case to a community resource coordination group, a local-level

interagency staffing group, or other community juvenile service

provider for services under Section 53.011, if the court [ person ]

determines that:

(1) the child is younger than 12 years of age;

(2) there is probable cause to believe the child

engaged in delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for

supervision;

(3) the child's case does not require referral to the

prosecuting attorney under Subsection (d) or (f);

(4) the child is eligible for deferred prosecution

under Section 53.03; and

(5) the child and the child's family are not currently

receiving services under Section 53.011 and would benefit from

receiving the services.

SECTION 2. Section 52.04(c), Family Code, is repealed.

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