89R SB 2794
by Sen. Paxton, same lead author · Did not pass · same text
Introduced textLast action, May 23, 2025: Committee report sent to Calendars
Relating to the criminal offense of interference with child custody.
Caption, 89R bill history
SB 248
Paxton Child Custody Bill Cuts Penalty To $500 Fine
Filed
Verdict: No flags
No flagsInitial review
Initial review · graded Nov 9, 2026 · How we grade
Caption
relating to the criminal offense of interference with child custody.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Enticing a child from the other parent drops from state jail felony to Class C misdemeanor.
This bill rewrites the Texas offense of a parent luring a child away from the person who has lawful custody. It now covers any parent who entices a child away from the other parent or guardian, not just a parent without custody. The bill also cuts the penalty for this conduct from a state jail felony to a Class C misdemeanor with a $500 fine, unless the parent has two prior convictions or took the child out of state.
Labels
Labels: BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 89R SB 2794 (Did not pass). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R and 89R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 89R and 90R. Checked against 88R and 89R only.
Receipt
The receipt
90R-SB248 · 2026-11-09
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the criminal offense of interference with child custody.
WHAT IT DOES
Enticing a child from the other parent drops from state jail felony to Class C misdemeanor.
This bill rewrites the Texas offense of a parent luring a child away from the person who has lawful custody. It now covers any parent who entices a child away from the other parent or guardian, not just a parent without custody. The bill also cuts the penalty for this conduct from a state jail felony to a Class C misdemeanor with a $500 fine, unless the parent has two prior convictions or took the child out of state.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
FILED UNDER
The bill drops a parent enticing a child out of custody from a state jail felony to a $500 Class C misdemeanor for first and second convictions where the child stays in Texas.
No flags
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
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.
James Stanton$47,500.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40,000.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$40,000.00
- Cash
- $40,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $40,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 11, 2024 to Jun 30, 2025. 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: 100982305, 101012314.
Gary Blake$30,000.00
MoneyMissing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$40,000.00
- Cash
- $40,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $40,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 11, 2024 to Jun 30, 2025. 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: 100982305, 101012314.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by a super-expensive superintelligence, Nov 9, 2026, against the published rubric.
FILED BEFORE
Filed 2 times: 89R and now. Checked against 88R and 89R only.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Nov 9, 2026
11/09/2026 S Filed
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Nov 10, 2026 at 2:41 AM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Subjects
Civil Remedies & Liabilities
Crimes--Against Persons--General
Family--Parent & Child
CHILD CUSTODY
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Text
The text as introduced · 310 words
90R195 MLH-F By: Paxton S.B. No. 248 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the criminal offense of interference with child custody. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Sections 25.03(b) and (d), Penal Code, are amended to read as follows: (b) A [ noncustodial ] parent commits an offense if, with the intent to interfere with the lawful custody of a child younger than 18 years, the [ noncustodial ] parent knowingly entices or persuades the child to leave the custody of : (1) the other [ the custodial ] parent or a [ , ] guardian of the child; [ , ] or (2) a person standing in the stead of the [ custodial ] parent or guardian of the child described by Subdivision (1) . (d) An offense under Subsection (a) [ this section ] is a state jail felony. An offense under Subsection (b) is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500, except that the offense is a state jail felony if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant: (1) has previously been convicted two or more times of an offense under that subsection; or (2) enticed or persuaded the child to leave the state. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.