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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information of |
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an applicant for or a person protected by a protective order. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 82.011, Family Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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Sec. 82.011. CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION. On |
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request by an applicant, the court shall [may] protect the |
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applicant's mailing address and county of residence by rendering an |
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order: |
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(1) requiring the applicant to: |
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(A) disclose the applicant's mailing address and |
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county of residence to the court; |
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(B) designate a person to receive on behalf of |
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the applicant any notice or documents filed with the court related |
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to the application; and |
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(C) disclose the designated person's mailing |
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address to the court; |
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(2) requiring the court clerk to: |
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(A) strike the applicant's mailing address and |
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county of residence from the public records of the court, if |
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applicable; and |
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(B) maintain a confidential record of the |
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applicant's mailing address and county of residence for use only by |
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the court; and |
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(3) prohibiting the release of the information to the |
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respondent. |
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SECTION 2. Section 85.007, Family Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) On request by a person protected by an order or an adult |
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member of the family or household of a person protected by an order, |
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the court shall [may] exclude from a protective order: |
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(1) the address, county of residence, and telephone |
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number of a person protected by the order; or |
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(2) the address and telephone number of: |
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(A) the place of employment or business of a |
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person protected by the order; or |
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(B) the child-care facility or school a child |
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protected by the order attends or in which the child resides. |
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(a-1) In a hearing on an application for a protective order, |
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the court shall inform each person described by Subsection (a) who |
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is present at the hearing of the person's right, on request, to have |
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information described by that subsection excluded from the |
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protective order and specifically ask the person if the person |
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wishes the court to exclude that information from the protective |
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order. |
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SECTION 3. Section 87.004, Family Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) On request by a person protected by an order, the |
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court shall keep confidential the changed address or telephone |
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number in the notification described by Subsection (a). On |
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granting a request for confidentiality under this subsection, the |
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court shall order the clerk to maintain a confidential record of the |
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information as described by Section 85.007(b)(2) and exclude that |
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information from the notification. If the applicant seeks to keep |
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confidential the applicant's mailing address, the applicant must: |
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(1) disclose the applicant's mailing address and |
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county of residence to the court; |
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(2) designate a person to receive on behalf of the |
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applicant any notice or documents filed with the court related to |
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the order; and |
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(3) disclose the designated person's mailing address |
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to the court. |
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SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies to an |
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application for a protective order that is pending on or filed on or |
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after the effective date of this Act or a notification of change of |
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address or telephone number that is filed on or after the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |