Stronger Families
Protecting Family Values
Strong families are the foundation of a strong Texas. Lawmakers protected the unborn and supported mothers, defended parental rights and took steps to keep children safe from predators, exploitation and harmful influences.
From protecting life to giving parents a greater voice in their children’s upbringing, the 89th Legislature advanced policies that reinforce the values that let Texas families thrive.
Protecting Life & Supporting Families
The Texas House prioritized policies last session that protect the unborn, support mothers facing difficult circumstances and provide families with care and resources when they need it most.
- Stopped taxpayer dollars from funding out-of-state abortions and related travel expenses (SB 33)
- Prevented organizations that promote abortion from receiving taxpayer funds through the Thriving Texas Families Program (SB 1388)
- Increased funding for Thriving Texas Families to $200 million (SB 1)
- Clarified when physicians must provide life-saving care to pregnant women facing serious medical emergencies (SB 31)
- Provided support, care and information to women whose unborn child has been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition (SB 1233)
- Supported families after the loss of a baby by requiring hospitals to offer counseling, bereavement resources and cuddle cots that give grieving parents more time to say goodbye (HB 37)
- Created the Texas Commission on Marriage and Family to strengthen marriages and support families across the state (HB 3284)
- Provided a franchise tax credit for businesses that support pro-life, pro-child and pro-family nonprofit organizations (SB 2018)
Keeping Children Safe
Every child deserves to grow up safe and free from exploitation.
During the 89th Legislative Session, lawmakers increased protections for children, held predators and abusers accountable, and gave parents and law enforcement new tools to protect kids in an increasingly digital world.
- Passed “Trey’s Law” to ban nondisclosure agreements in sexual abuse cases, protecting victims and preventing abusers from hiding their misconduct (SB 835)
- Held public schools accountable for sexual misconduct by school employees and put student safety first (HB 4623)
- Prohibited registered sex offenders from serving on school boards (HB 3629)
- Expanded a statewide screening program to help identify foster children at risk of trafficking and sexual exploitation (HB 451)
- Gave prosecutors more time to hold certain professionals, like doctors and teachers, accountable for failing to report child abuse (SB 127)
- Increased funding for Child Abuse Prevention Grants to expand technology and resources that support healthy children and families (SB 1)
- Expanded criminal penalties for possessing or distributing sexually explicit material depicting a child, including AI-generated or animated images (SB 20)
- Required websites that offer AI-generated deepfake content to verify that all individuals depicted are adults and have consented to the use of their likeness (HB 581)
- Gave victims of AI-generated explicit images a way to hold creators and websites accountable for sharing nonconsensual explicit content (SB 441)
- Required missing children to be entered into a national database within two hours to help law enforcement locate them quickly (HB 908)
- Created a criminal offense for possessing or promoting child-like sex dolls (HB 1443)
- Required app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps (SB 2420)
- Made it a state jail felony to make, possess or give fentanyl to someone in the presence of a child or vulnerable adult (HB 166)
Defending Parental Rights
Parents—not government agencies, school bureaucracies or activists—should have the primary responsibility for raising their children.
During the 89th Legislative Session, the Texas House expanded parental rights, reinforced biological reality in state law and protected children from ideological agendas in schools and government.
- Strengthened parents’ rights in public K–12 schools and banned DEI programs, classroom instruction and student clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity (SB 12)
- Gave Texas parents greater access to school library catalogs, while strengthening standards for materials available in school libraries (SB 13)
- Required certain insurance companies to cover the cost of treating complications, correcting adverse outcomes and reversing gender transition procedures (SB 1257)
- Passed the “What Is a Woman?” bill to define biological sex in state law and strengthen the legal foundation for sex-based protections in public spaces (HB 229)
- Protected parents from being labeled abusive for declining to support a child’s gender transition (HB 1106)
- Enshrined parental rights in the Texas Constitution, affirming that parents are the primary decision-makers for their children (SJR 34)
- Required healthcare records to reflect biological sex, not gender identity, and ensured parents can access their child’s medical records (SB 1188)
Preparing for 2027
The Texas House made major strides last session to protect children, defend parental rights and support strong families. Under Speaker Burrows’ leadership, that work continues.
House committees are studying ways to improve child welfare services, strengthen adoption and foster care outcomes, eliminate educator misconduct, examine the effects of social media and gaming platforms on young Texans, hold those platforms accountable for enabling child exploitation, and identify strategies to reduce preventable infant deaths.
Speaker Burrows and the Texas House are protecting life, defending parental rights, strengthening families and ensuring every Texas child has the opportunity to grow up safe, healthy and prepared to succeed.