Monitoring the Session

SB 2785

Birdwell Bill Hands Prosecutors Child Abuse Files Within 30 Days

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to notification and disclosure of records and information concerning an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect to county or district attorneys.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Once someone is arrested for one of 15 listed offenses. Confidential records included.

The bill lets county attorneys, not just district attorneys, ask the state child protection agency to notify them of child abuse or neglect reports. It also lets a county or district attorney, once someone is arrested for one of fifteen listed offenses against a child, request the full investigation report and related records, including confidential ones. The agency must hand over those records within 30 days, and the prosecutor cannot release them to the public except as allowed under criminal discovery rules.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 13, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Criminal Jurisprudence committee 7-0, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2785 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

ITEM

relating to notification and disclosure of records and information concerning an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect to county or district attorneys.

WHAT IT DOES

Once someone is arrested for one of 15 listed offenses. Confidential records included.

The bill lets county attorneys, not just district attorneys, ask the state child protection agency to notify them of child abuse or neglect reports. It also lets a county or district attorney, once someone is arrested for one of fifteen listed offenses against a child, request the full investigation report and related records, including confidential ones. The agency must hand over those records within 30 days, and the prosecutor cannot release them to the public except as allowed under criminal discovery rules.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · May 1, 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 as substituted
  10. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  11. Committee report printed and distributed
  12. Placed on intent calendar
  13. Placed on local & uncontested calendar
  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
FILED UNDER

SURVEILLANCE STATE

THE TEXT

…“including information that is confidential under Section 261.201,”…

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill requires the child protection agency to send confidential investigation records to county and district attorneys after an arrest, widening data sharing between government offices.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · May 13, 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

Brian Birdwell

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC Austin TX$30,000
Good Government Fund Fort Worth TX$10,000
Texas Oil & Gas Assn. Good Govt. Cmte Austin TX$10,000

Derived from itemized gifts, Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

$353,800 raised since Jul 1, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. blank in the state's data, consistent with zero. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.

$502,039 spent since Jul 1, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.

$731,044 cash on hand. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

$0 loans outstanding. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived sum of itemized contributions in regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Unitemized contributions are not included. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Money

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

Votes3

Senate May 13, 2025

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Birdwell moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 2785 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate May 13, 2025

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Birdwell moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 2785 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate May 13, 2025

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

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: Not printed

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

Witnesses25
For
23
Against
1
On
1
Names

For

  • Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)2 registrations
  • Dallas Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot1 registration
  • Dallas Police Assoc1 registration
  • Dallas Police Association1 registration
  • Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #392 registrations
  • Houston Police Department2 registrations
  • Self5 registrations
  • Self; Chambers County District Attorney’s Office1 registration
  • Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
  • Self; McLennan County Criminal District Attorney’s Office1 registration
  • Self; McLennan County District Attorney1 registration
  • Self; Prosper ISD Police Department1 registration
  • SHERIFFS’ Association of Texas1 registration
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)2 registrations
  • Texas Police Chiefs Association1 registration

Against

  • Self1 registration

On

  • Department of Family and Protective Services1 registration
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 S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · May 1, 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 H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 14, 2025

05/26/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

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

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

Sponsors
Gary VanDeaverRHouse 1

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Committee vote 7 aye, 0 nay, 4 absent · Out of committee

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

Companion

HB 2665 by VanDeaver (very similar)

Subjects

Courts--Prosecuting Attorneys

Family--Child Protection

Minors--Crimes Against

CHILD ABUSE

JUVENILE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 316 words

89R16028 RAL-D

By: Birdwell
S.B. No. 2785

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to notification and disclosure of records and information

concerning an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect to

county or district attorneys.

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

SECTION 1. Section 261.1055, Family Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 261.1055. NOTIFICATION AND RELEASE OF CERTAIN

INFORMATION TO COUNTY OR DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. (a) The [ A district

attorney may inform the department that the district attorney

wishes to receive notification of some or all reports of suspected

abuse or neglect of children who were in the county at the time the

report was made or who were in the county at the time of the alleged

abuse or neglect.

[ (b) If the district attorney makes the notification under

this section, the ] department shall, on receipt of a report of

suspected abuse or neglect, immediately notify a county or [ the ]

district attorney with jurisdiction to investigate or prosecute the

reported abuse or neglect of the report.

(b) On request by the county or district attorney, [ as

requested and ] the department shall forward a copy of the report of

abuse or neglect and all information concerning the investigation

of the reported abuse or neglect, including information that is

confidential under Section 261.201, [ reports ] to the county or

district attorney not later than the 30th day after the date the

department receives the request [ on request ].

(c) The information released by the department to a county

or district attorney under Subsection (b) is not subject to public

release by the county or district attorney under Chapter 552,

Government Code, and may only be disclosed for purposes consistent

with Articles 39.14, 39.15, and 39.151, Code of Criminal Procedure.

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