Texas House bill by Rep. Gervin-Hawkins mandates timely notifications on children in conservatorship

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins aims to ensure the Department of Family and Protective Services promptly notifies relevant parties about important changes in the status of children under its conservatorship, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 58 Democrats and 78 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Barbara Gervin-Hawkins introduced the bill in the Texas House on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Gervin-Hawkins graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1975 with a BBA.

Gervin-Hawkins, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 120th House district, replacing previous state representative Laura Thompson.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the notification of certain persons concerning certain events related to children in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that the Department of Family and Protective Services notify specific parties regarding certain significant events affecting children under its conservatorship. Notifications must be sent within 24 hours following events like significant changes in a child’s medical condition, enrollment in a drug research program, initial prescription of psychotropic medication, or changes in the child’s placement. Additionally, 48-hour notice is required for changes in residential child-care facilities, with efforts to inform parents, attorneys, guardians ad litem, volunteer advocates, child-placing agency administrators, and others involved in the child’s welfare. The department must keep a record of all notifications and attempted notifications within the child’s case file. This Act is set to take effect Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. John Lujan (Republican – District 118).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Tuesday, May 20, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.