All Roll Calls
Yes: 766 • No: 226
TexasSB 161089th Legislature Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Relating to sexually violent predators, to the Texas Civil Commitment Office, and to the prosecution of the offense of harassment by sexually violent predators and other persons confined in certain facilities; amending certain sex offender registration requirements; increasing criminal penalties.
Sponsored By: David Cook, Pete Flores (Republican), Sam Harless, Charles Perry (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Alcoholism & Drug AbuseCourts--GeneralCrimes--Against Persons--SexualCriminal Procedure--Bail & Pretrial ReleaseCriminal Procedure--GeneralCriminal Procedure--Sentencing & PunishmentElectronic Information SystemsTobacco ProductsATTORNEY'S FEESCIVIL COMMITMENTCONTRACTORS & SUBCONTRACTORSCRIMINAL RECORDSDEFERRED ADJUDICATIONHARASSMENTMAGISTRATESMANDATORY & COMMUNITY SUPERVISIONPEACE OFFICERSSEXUAL ABUSESEXUAL HARASSMENTSEXUAL OFFENDERSVIDEOCONFERENCINGATTORNEY GENERALCRIMINAL JUSTICE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSIONTEXAS CIVIL COMMITMENT OFFICE
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
13 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 6 costs, 5 mixed.
Committed offenders owe damage and injury costs
Beginning September 1, 2025, civilly committed sex offenders must pay qualifying repair, replacement, and medical costs they cause. Liability covers intentional, knowing, reckless, or negligent conduct, even when the person cannot afford payment. Covered property belongs to Texas, its contractors or agents, the facility, or another civilly committed sex offender. Medical costs can cover injuries to the offender or another person. The Texas Civil Commitment Office sets the amount and directs payment to the office.
Paid work limits for covered offenders
Certain registrants with specified court findings, and people civilly committed as sexually violent predators, cannot provide listed services for pay. Covered sites include SAFE-ready and forensic exam facilities, sexual assault programs, family violence centers, and primary or secondary schools. Paid coaching, tutoring, or mentoring anyone under 18 is also barred. Specified limits on bus operation, passenger transportation, unsupervised in-home services, and amusement ride operation also apply to civilly committed sexually violent predators.
Family contact can shape commitment policies
Beginning September 1, 2025, the Texas Civil Commitment Office may consider family contact when adopting family-unity policies. It may consider how phone, mail, and visitation rules affect relatives' ability to maintain appropriate contact and provide support. The law does not guarantee visits, calls, mail access, or a policy change.
Legal protection grows for commitment workers
Beginning September 1, 2025, good-faith immunity covers people providing, contracting, appointed, or volunteering for commitment services at the office's request. Courts must immediately dismiss claims arising from their covered good-faith work. When the office requests it, the Attorney General must defend covered providers; neither the office nor provider may pay assistance costs. Courts must award incurred court costs and legal fees to immune providers, or to the Attorney General when representing them. Office employees and officers also gain immunity for good-faith work under sex offender registration law.
Commitment hearings can proceed without travel
Beginning September 1, 2025, courts can hold civil commitment proceedings at office-operated or contracted facilities, or remotely, without participants' consent. Remote technology must let the court and committed person see and hear each other and any other witness. Remote proceedings must be recorded, and the recording can serve as the permanent record. Magistrates can also choose to perform covered duties at civil commitment facilities.
More registration duties for committed offenders
Beginning September 1, 2025, Texas offenses underlying civil commitment as a sexually violent predator count as reportable offenses requiring registration. Registered people with that commitment history who need not live in a commitment center must verify information at least every 90 days. They must report to the designated local law enforcement agency. For covered juvenile cases transferred to criminal court, the 10-year registration period ends 10 years after the latest applicable event. Those events include release from civil commitment or prison, discharge from community supervision, or case dismissal and discharge, subject to statutory exceptions.
Stricter release rules for committed defendants
Defendants committed as sexually violent predators when the alleged offense occurred must obey their commitment orders and commit no new offenses while on bond. Magistrates can add bond conditions protecting victims, the community, and facility workers. A violation found more likely than not requires bond revocation and immediate return to custody. Covered defendants lose access to the fine-only misdemeanor release-without-bond procedure and statutory trial-delay release rules. Before reducing bail for a felony committed during that commitment, courts must notify the state and hold a hearing if requested by the state, defendant, or defense lawyer.
Tougher sentences for civilly committed offenders
A person civilly committed as a sexually violent predator when committing a felony faces life or 25–99 years in prison. The rule excludes state jail felonies punishable under Penal Code Section 12.35(a). Indecent exposure by a person with that commitment status is a third-degree felony. Sentences must run one after another for convictions in two or more cases if any offense occurred during that commitment. Beginning September 1, 2025, special prosecution unit attorneys can prosecute covered offenses with the same authority as local prosecutors.
Commitment providers get pay and contract rules
Beginning September 1, 2025, covered housing, medical, mental-health, and sex-offender treatment contracts can last no more than 10 years. Renewals are unlimited, but each renewal also has a 10-year cap. Courts must order reasonable pay for people performing covered civil commitment duties or services under the separate service-payment rule. That pay is assessed as court costs, which the Texas Health and Human Services Commission must pay. The law sets no compensation amount.
Broader commitment screening with notice limits
Beginning September 1, 2025, a sentenced conviction for continuous sexual abuse of a young child counts toward repeat sexually violent offender status. Other pathways include a later sexually violent offense following an earlier conviction, deferred adjudication, or qualifying juvenile finding. Those pathways require a later conviction and sentence. After an earlier notice and assessment recommendation, the prison agency generally cannot send another anticipated-release notice for the person. Another notice requires a new sexually violent conviction or supervision revocation tied to a new sexually violent offense, treatment or supervision failures, or registration failure.
Broader harassment charges in confinement facilities
The law expands harassment charges involving people confined in correctional or detention facilities or committed to civil commitment facilities. Prohibited contact now includes other fluids or liquids, alongside listed bodily substances. Covered intent includes assault, harassment, annoyance, alarm, abuse, torment, or embarrassment. In civil commitment harassment cases, a distinctive uniform or badge creates a presumption that the accused knew covered workers' status. Warning someone about the planned conduct is not a defense to these harassment charges.
More commitment records access, less disclosure
Beginning September 1, 2025, Texas's computerized criminal history system must include civil commitment orders. The Department of Public Safety must add earlier orders as soon as practicable after that date. The commitment office can obtain criminal histories for people currently committed or previously committed and released by court order. At the same time, multidisciplinary assessment team records are confidential and exempt from public-information disclosure.
Stronger assault protections for commitment workers
People committed to civil commitment facilities face higher assault penalties involving covered office staff, state contractors, and contractor employees. Aggravated assault is a first-degree felony, and indecent assault is a third-degree felony, for the covered work-related attacks. These rules cover attacks during lawful official duties or contracted services, and attacks in retaliation for that work. In specified assault cases, a distinctive uniform or badge creates a presumption that the accused knew the worker's covered status. Facility contractors and their employees also gain public-servant protections under the retaliation law.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
David Cook
House
Pete Flores
Republican • Senate
Sam Harless
House
Charles Perry
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 6/1/2025
Record vote
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 6/1/2025
Record vote
Yes: 121 • No: 16
House vote • 5/28/2025
Record vote
Yes: 123 • No: 10
House vote • 5/28/2025
Record vote
Yes: 99 • No: 30
House vote • 5/27/2025
Record vote
Yes: 99 • No: 31
House vote • 5/27/2025
Record vote
Yes: 85 • No: 56
House vote • 5/27/2025
Record vote
Yes: 139 • No: 0
House vote • 5/27/2025
Record vote
Yes: 59 • No: 82
Senate vote • 4/7/2025
Record vote
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/7/2025
Record vote
Yes: 29 • No: 1
House vote • Unknown
Committee vote: Corrections
Yes: 5 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Committee vote: Criminal Justice
Yes: 7 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Effective on 9/1/25
6/20/2025HouseSigned by the Governor
6/20/2025HouseSent to the Governor
6/3/2025HouseSigned in the House
6/2/2025HouseSigned in the Senate
6/2/2025SenateReported enrolled
6/1/2025SenateHouse adopts conf. comm. report-reported
6/1/2025SenateSenate adopts conf. comm. report-reported
6/1/2025HouseStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
6/1/2025HouseRecord vote (RV#4151)
6/1/2025HouseHouse adopts conference committee report
6/1/2025HouseRecord vote
6/1/2025SenateSenate adopts conference committee report
6/1/2025SenateConference committee report filed
5/31/2025SenateConf. Comm. Report distributed
5/31/2025HouseHouse appoints conferees-reported
5/30/2025SenateHouse grants request for conf comm-reported
5/30/2025SenateHouse appoints conferees
5/30/2025HouseHouse grants request for conference committee
5/30/2025HouseSenate appoints conferees-reported
5/29/2025HouseSenate requests conference committee-reported
5/29/2025HouseSenate refuses to concur-reported
5/29/2025HouseSenate appoints conferees
5/29/2025SenateSenate requests conference committee
5/29/2025SenateSenate refuses to concur
5/29/2025Senate
Bill Text
Engrossed
Enrolled
House Committee Report
Introduced
Senate Committee Report
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