HB 4805

bill bars dismissing cases when a foster child goes missing

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 prohibiting the dismissal of certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship involving the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Child gone missing? The case stays open.

The bill bars family courts from dismissing a state child-welfare case when a child in foster or other substitute care has gone missing. It touches children in the custody of the Department of Family and Protective Services, their caregivers, and the courts that run their cases. When a child goes missing from placement, the court must keep the case open instead of letting the normal dismissal deadline end it, and after the state becomes permanent guardian the case also stays open while the child is missing, not only while the child is in juvenile detention.

Labels

Labels: BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 1045 by Rep. Hinojosa (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4805 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Ann JohnsonDHouse 134

ITEM

relating to prohibiting the dismissal of certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship involving the Department of Family and Protective Services.

WHAT IT DOES

Child gone missing? The case stays open.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 9, 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 13, 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, 2025Committee substitute considered in s/c
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

Ann Johnson

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$73K Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$65K Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$55K

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 27, 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.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$72,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$72,500.00

Cash: $72,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $72,500.00

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 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: 100987008, 101008094, 101030169, 101058089, 101072095.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$65,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$65,000.00

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $65,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 26, 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: 101008094, 101072095.

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$54,875.00

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$54,875.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $29,875.00
Total: $54,875.00

consulting $29,875.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 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: 100987008, 101058089, 101068643, 101072095.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$72,500.00

Cash: $72,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $72,500.00

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 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: 100987008, 101008094, 101030169, 101058089, 101072095.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$65,000.00

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $65,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 26, 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: 101008094, 101072095.

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$54,875.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $29,875.00
Total: $54,875.00

consulting $29,875.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 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: 100987008, 101058089, 101068643, 101072095.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses11

For: 10
Against: 1
On: 0

Names

For

Children at Risk1 registration
Not on Our Watch Texas1 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Buckner International1 registration
Self; TAFDA1 registration
Self; TexProtects1 registration
Texans Care for Children1 registration
Texas CASA1 registration
Texas Network of Youth Services1 registration
TexProtects1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

Sources

11 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 9, 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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 1045

by Rep. Hinojosa, different lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 2, 2023: Referred to Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

Relating to prohibiting the dismissal of certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship involving the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 13, 2025

05/15/2025 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.

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

Companion

SB 2165 by Parker (identical)

Subjects

Courts--General

Family--Child Protection

Family--Parent & Child

CONSERVATORSHIP

MISSING CHILDREN

Text

The text as introduced · 244 words

89R17876 TYPED

By: Johnson
H.B. No. 4805

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting the dismissal of certain suits affecting

the parent-child relationship involving the Department of Family

and Protective Services.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 263, Family Code, is

amended by adding Section 263.4012 to read as follows:

Sec. 263.4012. PROHIBITING DISMISSAL WHEN CHILD IS MISSING.

Notwithstanding Section 263.401, the court shall retain

jurisdiction and may not dismiss the suit as required by that

section if the court finds the child is missing from the child's

substitute care provider.

SECTION 2. Section 263.501(g), Family Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(g) Unless the child is adopted or permanent managing

conservatorship of the child is awarded to an individual other than

the department, a [ A ] court required to conduct permanency hearings

for a child for whom the department has been appointed permanent

managing conservator may not dismiss a suit affecting the

parent-child relationship filed by the department regarding the

child while the child is :

(1) committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department

or released under the supervision of the Texas Juvenile Justice

Department ; or

(2) missing from the child's substitute care

provider [ , unless the child is adopted or permanent managing

conservatorship of the child is awarded to an individual other than

the department ].

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