Texas Senate bill by Sen. Paxton makes nondisclosure provisions unenforceable for child sexual abuse

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Angela Paxton seeks to make certain nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions unenforceable in cases involving acts of sexual abuse against children, aiming to ensure reporting to law enforcement or regulatory agencies, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the House, 58 Democrats and 86 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Angela Paxton introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Friday, Jan. 17, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Paxton graduated from Baylor University with a BS.

Paxton, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 8th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Van Taylor.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the enforceability of certain nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions with respect to an act of sexual abuse’.

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

In essence, this bill makes certain nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions unenforceable concerning acts of sexual abuse against children. It defines “acts of sexual abuse” by referencing specific sections of the Family Code and various Penal Code offenses, including indecency with a child, sexual assault, and trafficking. The bill renders void any agreement provision that restricts a party from notifying law enforcement or regulatory agencies about such acts or disclosing relevant details, including the identity of the alleged offender. It applies to agreements made before, on, or after its effective date, which is set for Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. Donna Campbell (Republican – District 25), Sen. Charles Perry (Republican – District 28), and Sen. Bob Hall (Republican – District 2), along with 11 other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Monday, May 26, 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.