Monitoring the Session

SB 1019

Huffman’s bill widens the child hearsay rule to age 18

Became law, effective Sep 1, 2025

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Joan HuffmanRSenate 17

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 admissibility of certain hearsay statements in the adjudication of certain sexual or assaultive offenses committed against a child or a person with a disability.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Covered victim age rises from 12 or younger to 18 or younger.

The bill widens the juvenile-court hearsay rule that lets a child victim's out-of-court statement come in as evidence in sexual and assaultive cases, raising the covered victim age from 12 or younger to 18 or younger. It also swaps the Family Code's own definition of a person with a disability for the Penal Code definition of a disabled individual. More outcry statements from older child victims and disabled victims can be admitted in juvenile delinquency hearings that start on or after September 1, 2025.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1019 · 2025-01-30

SOLD BY

Sen. Joan HuffmanRSenate 17

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the admissibility of certain hearsay statements in the adjudication of certain sexual or assaultive offenses committed against a child or a person with a disability.

WHAT IT DOES

Covered victim age rises from 12 or younger to 18 or younger.

The bill widens the juvenile-court hearsay rule that lets a child victim's out-of-court statement come in as evidence in sexual and assaultive cases, raising the covered victim age from 12 or younger to 18 or younger. It also swaps the Family Code's own definition of a person with a disability for the Penal Code definition of a disabled individual. More outcry statements from older child victims and disabled victims can be admitted in juvenile delinquency hearings that start on or after September 1, 2025.

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 · March 17, 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. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Criminal Justice
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Vote taken in committee
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  10. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  11. Committee report printed and distributed
  12. Placed on intent calendar
  13. Co-author authorized
  14. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  15. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  16. Vote recorded in Journal
  17. Three day rule suspended
  18. Record vote
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Passed
  21. Record vote
  22. Reported engrossed
  23. Received from the Senate
  24. Read first time
  25. Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
  26. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  27. Considered in public hearing
  28. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  29. Left pending in committee
  30. Considered in formal meeting
  31. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  32. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  33. Committee report distributed
  34. Committee report sent to Calendars
  35. Considered in Calendars
  36. Placed on General State Calendar
  37. Read 2nd time
  38. Passed to 3rd reading
  39. Record vote RV#3216
  40. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  41. Read 3rd time
  42. Passed
  43. Record vote RV#3313
  44. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  45. House passage reported
  46. Reported enrolled
  47. Signed in the Senate
  48. Signed in the House
  49. Sent to the Governor
  50. Signed by the Governor
  51. Effective on 9/1/25
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 139 yea · 0 nay

Senate · 30 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 23, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Mar 27, 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

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Joan Huffman

Donors

Donors report through Texans for Joan Huffman.

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 Jun 30, 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.

Money

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

Votes5

House May 23, 2025

Yea
139
Nay
0
Present, not voting
2
Absent
3
Excused
6
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3313

SB 1019 was passed by (Record 3313): 139 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 139 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 6 (derived from named list)

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

House May 22, 2025

Yea
139
Nay
0
Present, not voting
2
Absent
0
Excused
9
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3216

SB 1019 was passed to third reading by (Record 3216): 139 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 139 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 9 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Mar 27, 2025

Yea
30
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
1
Names

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

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

  • Yea: 30 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Mar 27, 2025

Yea
30
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
1
Names

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

Sources

Senator Huffman moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 1019 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.

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

  • Yea: 30 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Mar 27, 2025

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
1
Names

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

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

  • Yea: Not printed
  • Nay: Not printed
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses25
For
25
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)2 registrations
  • Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot1 registration
  • Dallas County District Attorney’s Office1 registration
  • Game Warden Peace Officers Association1 registration
  • Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
  • Harris Couty Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
  • Not On Our Watch Texas2 registrations
  • San Antonio police officers association1 registration
  • SAPOA1 registration
  • Self4 registrations
  • Self; 106th Judicial District Attorney2 registrations
  • Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union2 registrations
  • Self; Navarro County Criminal District Attorney1 registration
  • Self; Sheriffs’ Association of Texas1 registration
  • Sheriffs’ Association of Texas (SAT)1 registration
  • Texas Family Law Foundation1 registration
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)2 registrations
Sources

25 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 17, 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 Senate · Filed Jan 30, 2025

06/20/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25

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

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

Coauthors
César BlancoDSenate 29
Sponsors
Lacey HullRHouse 138

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Criminal Justice · Committee vote 7 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Crimes--Against Persons--General

Crimes--Against Persons--Sexual

Disabilities, Persons with

Family--Child Protection

Minors--Health & Safety

Minors--Juvenile Justice

EVIDENCE

Text

The text as introduced · 305 words

89R6393 CJD-F

By: Huffman
S.B. No. 1019

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the admissibility of certain hearsay statements in the

adjudication of certain sexual or assaultive offenses committed

against a child or a person with a disability.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 54.031(a) and (d), Family Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) This section applies to a hearing under this title in

which a child is alleged to be a delinquent child on the basis of a

violation of any of the following provisions of the Penal Code, if a

child 18 [ 12 ] years of age or younger or a person with a disability

is the alleged victim of the violation:

(1) Chapter 21 (Sexual Offenses) or 22 (Assaultive

Offenses);

(2) Section 25.02 (Prohibited Sexual Conduct);

(3) Section 43.25 (Sexual Performance by a Child);

(4) Section 20A.02(a)(7) or (8) (Trafficking of

Persons); or

(5) Section 43.05(a)(2) (Compelling Prostitution).

(d) In this section, "person with a disability" has the same

meaning as "disabled individual" as defined by Section 22.04, Penal

Code [ means a person 13 years of age or older who because of age or

physical or mental disease, disability, or injury is substantially

unable to protect the person's self from harm or to provide food,

shelter, or medical care for the person's self ].

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a

case in a juvenile court that commences on or after the effective

date of this Act. A case that commences before the effective date of

this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the case

commenced, and the former law is continued in effect for that

purpose.

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