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Legislative Update: Two CPS Bills to Watch from the 89th Texas Legislature

Updated: 4 days ago

By Chris Meyer, Attorney at Law

At the Building Resilient and Trauma-Informed Communities Conference on May 9, 2025, I had the opportunity to present a legislative update focused on two significant bills currently moving through the Texas Legislature—HB 2070 and HB 2216. These bills may profoundly impact child welfare law, CPS procedures, and how we protect vulnerable children and families in our state.


HB 2070: Court Order Required for CPS Registry Entry

This bill would prohibit the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) from adding someone to the confidential child abuse registry unless a court first enters a formal finding of abuse or neglect. While this may seem like a win for transparency and due process, it may actually create unintended harms—by making these cases public and adding legal delays, it risks further stigmatizing families and undermining early intervention efforts.


HB 2216: Raising the Burden of Proof for Parental Termination

HB 2216 proposes raising the evidentiary standard for terminating parental rights from “clear and convincing evidence” to “beyond a reasonable doubt”—a threshold traditionally reserved for criminal cases. While well-intentioned, this bill could delay permanency, keep children in unstable or unsafe situations longer, and reduce the ability of courts to intervene swiftly where abuse is ongoing or escalating.


Both bills deserve scrutiny from professionals working in child welfare, legal services, and advocacy. They highlight the tension between protecting constitutional rights and ensuring swift, trauma-informed responses to family crisis.


Click below to download the full Legislative Update slide deck I presented at the conference:





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Disclosure: I am currently a resident of Texas House District 28, a licensed attorney, and a former ward of the Texas CPS/foster care system. I have experienced CPS involvement firsthand as a child. The views expressed in this legislative update are solely my own and are not made on behalf of or in affiliation with any organization. My goal is to provide accurate, balanced information for fellow professionals in the child welfare and legal communities. This commentary is intended to support informed discussion, not to promote or oppose any legislator or political party. It is my personal belief that these two bills—HB 2070 and HB 2216—do not adequately protect children in Texas. I have expressed that concern directly to my elected representative in the letter linked below.




Certified Letter Tracking:


 
 
 

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