HB793 - Relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information of an applicant for or a person protected by a protective order.

      H.B. No. 793         AN ACT   relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information of   an applicant for or a person protected by a protective order.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 82.011, Family Code, is amended to read   as follows:          Sec. 82.011.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION.  On   request by an applicant, the court shall [ may ] protect the   applicant's mailing address and county of residence by rendering an   order:                (1)  requiring the applicant to:                      (A)  disclose the applicant's mailing address and   county of residence to the court;                      (B)  designate a person to receive on behalf of   the applicant any notice or documents filed with the court related   to the application; and                      (C)  disclose the designated person's mailing   address to the court;                (2)  requiring the court clerk to:                      (A)  strike the applicant's mailing address and   county of residence from the public records of the court, if   applicable; and                      (B)  maintain a confidential record of the   applicant's mailing address and county of residence for use only by   the court; and                (3)  prohibiting the release of the information to the   respondent.          SECTION 2.  Section 85.007, Family Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as   follows:          (a)  On request by a person protected by an order or an adult   member of the family or household of a person protected by an order,   the court shall [ may ] exclude from a protective order:                (1)  the address, county of residence, and telephone   number of a person protected by the order; or                (2)  the address and telephone number of:                      (A)  the place of employment or business of a   person protected by the order; or                      (B)  the child-care facility or school a child   protected by the order attends or in which the child resides.           (a-1)     In a hearing on an application for a protective order,   the court shall inform each person described by Subsection (a) who   is present at the hearing of the person's right, on request, to have   information described by that subsection excluded from the   protective order and specifically ask the person if the person   wishes the court to exclude that information from the protective   order.          SECTION 3.  Section 87.004, Family Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:           (a-1)     On request by a person protected by an order, the   court shall keep confidential the changed address or telephone   number in the notification described by Subsection (a). On   granting a request for confidentiality under this subsection, the   court shall order the clerk to maintain a confidential record of the   information as described by Section 85.007(b)(2) and exclude that   information from the notification. If the applicant seeks to keep   confidential the applicant's mailing address, the applicant must:                 (1)     disclose the applicant's mailing address and   county of residence to the court;                 (2)     designate a person to receive on behalf of the   applicant any notice or documents filed with the court related to   the order; and                 (3)     disclose the designated person's mailing address   to the court.          SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act applies to an   application for a protective order that is pending on or filed on or   after the effective date of this Act or a notification of change of   address or telephone number that is filed on or after the effective   date of this Act.          SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.       ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                   I certify that H.B. No. 793 was passed by the House on May 2,   2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 134, Nays 0, 1 present, not   voting.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House                 I certify that H.B. No. 793 was passed by the Senate on May   21, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.     ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate       APPROVED:  _____________________                      Date                           _____________________                    Governor