HB 4923

relating to status offenses committed by a child, including the
repeal of the status offense of a child voluntarily running away
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Article 45A.463(g), Code of Criminal Procedure,
(g)  The court shall order the conviction, together with all
complaints, verdicts, sentences, and prosecutorial and law
enforcement records, and any other documents relating to the
offense, expunged from the person's record if the court finds that:
(1)  for a person applying for the expunction of a
conviction for an offense described by Section 8.07(a)(4) or (5),
Penal Code, the person was not convicted of any other offense
described by those subdivisions while the person was a child; and
(2)  for a person applying for the expunction of a
conviction for an offense described by Section 43.261, Penal Code,
the person was not found to have engaged in conduct indicating a
need for supervision described by Section 51.03(b)(5)
[51.03(b)(6)], Family Code, while the person was a child.
SECTION 2.  Section 33.051(2), Education Code, is amended to
(2)  "Missing child" means a child whose whereabouts
are unknown to the legal custodian of the child and:
(A)  the circumstances of whose absence indicate
that the child did not voluntarily leave the care and control of the
custodian and that the taking of the child was not authorized by
(B)  the child has voluntarily left the child's
home without the consent of the custodian for a substantial length
of time or without intent to return [engaged in conduct indicating a
need for supervision under Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code].
SECTION 3.  Section 51.02, Family Code, is amended by
amending Subdivision (15) and adding Subdivision (15-a) to read as
(15)  "Status offender" means a child who is accused,
adjudicated, or convicted of a status offense.
(15-a) "Status offense" means [for] conduct a child
commits that would not, under state law, be a crime if committed by
(A)  [running away from home under Section
[(B)]  a fineable only offense under Section
51.03(b)(1) transferred to the juvenile court under Section
51.08(b), but only if the conduct constituting the offense would
not have been criminal if engaged in by an adult;
(B) [(C)]  a violation of standards of student
conduct as described by Section 51.03(b)(3) [51.03(b)(4)];
(C) [(D)]  a violation of a provision of the
Alcoholic Beverage Code applicable to minors only; or
(D) [(E)]  a violation of any other fineable only
offense under Section 8.07(a)(4) or (5), Penal Code, but only if the
conduct constituting the offense would not have been criminal if
SECTION 4.  Section 51.03(b), Family Code, is amended to
(b)  Conduct indicating a need for supervision is:
(1)  subject to Subsection (f), conduct, other than a
traffic offense, that violates:
(A)  the penal laws of this state of the grade of
misdemeanor that are punishable by fine only; or
(B)  the penal ordinances of any political
(2)  [the voluntary absence of a child from the child's
home without the consent of the child's parent or guardian for a
substantial length of time or without intent to return;
[(3)]  conduct prohibited by city ordinance or by state
law involving the inhalation of the fumes or vapors of paint and
other protective coatings or glue and other adhesives and the
volatile chemicals itemized in Section 485.001, Health and Safety
(3) [(4)]  an act that violates a school district's
previously communicated written standards of student conduct for
which the child has been expelled under Section 37.007(c),
(4) [(5)]  notwithstanding Subsection (a)(1), conduct
described by Section 43.02 or 43.021, Penal Code;
(5) [(6)]  notwithstanding Subsection (a)(1), conduct
that violates Section 43.261, Penal Code; or
(6) [(7)]  notwithstanding Subsection (a)(1), conduct
that violates Section 42.0601, Penal Code, if the child has not
previously been adjudicated as having engaged in conduct violating
SECTION 5.  Section 51.12, Family Code, is amended by adding
Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
a child may only be detained in an office or place described by
Subsection (a)(1) or (2) or a nonsecure correctional facility that
meets the conditions of Subsections (j-1)(1), (3), and (4) if the
child is accused only of a status offense.
SECTION 6.  Section 51.13(e), Family Code, is amended to
(e)  A finding that a child engaged in conduct indicating a
need for supervision as described by Section 51.03(b)(5)
[51.03(b)(6)] is a conviction only for the purposes of Sections
SECTION 7.  Section 52.02(a), Family Code, is amended to
(a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), a person taking a
child into custody, without unnecessary delay and without first
taking the child to any place other than a juvenile processing
office designated under Section 52.025, shall do one of the
(1)  release the child to a parent, guardian, custodian
of the child, or other responsible adult upon that person's promise
to bring the child before the juvenile court as requested by the
(2)  bring the child before the office or official
designated by the juvenile board if there is probable cause to
believe that the child engaged in delinquent conduct, conduct
indicating a need for supervision, or conduct that violates a
condition of probation imposed by the juvenile court;
(3)  bring the child to a detention facility designated
(4)  bring the child to a secure detention facility as
provided by Section 51.12(j), unless the child is accused only of a
(5)  bring the child to a medical facility if the child
is believed to suffer from a serious physical condition or illness
that requires prompt treatment;
(6)  dispose of the case under Section 52.03; [or]
(7)  if school is in session and the child is a student,
bring the child to the school campus to which the child is assigned
if the principal, the principal's designee, or a peace officer
assigned to the campus agrees to assume responsibility for the
child for the remainder of the school day; or
(8)  if the child is accused only of a status offense:
(A)  bring the child to a place of nonsecure
custody in compliance with Articles 45A.453(d), (e), and (f), Code
(B)  if a juvenile processing office or place of
nonsecure custody is not available, bring the child to a nonsecure
correctional facility that meets the conditions of Sections
SECTION 8.  Section 54.011, Family Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
(a)  The detention hearing for a [status offender or]
nonoffender who has not been released administratively under
Section 53.02 shall be held before the 24th hour after the time the
child arrived at a detention facility, excluding hours of a weekend
or a holiday. Except as otherwise provided by this section, the
judge or referee conducting the detention hearing shall release the
[status offender or] nonoffender from secure detention.
(a-1)  If a child is accused only of a status offense, the
child may not be detained at a place of nonsecure custody for longer
than six hours, or at a nonsecure correctional facility for longer
than 24 hours, after the time the child arrived at the place of
detention. If the child is not released before the sixth hour after
the time the child arrived at the place of detention, the child is
entitled to a detention hearing that must be held before the 24th
hour after the time the child arrived at the place of detention,
excluding weekends and holidays.  Except as otherwise provided by
this section, the judge or referee conducting the detention hearing
shall release the child from detention.
SECTION 9.  Section 54.04(o), Family Code, is amended to
(o)  In a disposition under this title:
(1)  a status offender may not, under any
circumstances, be committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice
Department for engaging in conduct that would not, under state or
local law, be a crime if committed by an adult;
(2)  a status offender may not, under any circumstances
[other than as provided under Subsection (n)], be placed in a
post-adjudication secure correctional facility; and
(3)  a child adjudicated for contempt of a county,
justice, or municipal court order may not, under any circumstances,
be placed in a post-adjudication secure correctional facility or
committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department for that
SECTION 10.  Section 54.0404(a), Family Code, is amended to
(a)  If a child is found to have engaged in conduct
indicating a need for supervision described by Section 51.03(b)(5)
[51.03(b)(6)], the juvenile court may enter an order requiring the
child to attend and successfully complete an educational program
described by Section 37.218, Education Code, or another equivalent
SECTION 11.  Section 59.003(a), Family Code, is amended to
(a)  Subject to Subsection (e), after a child's first
commission of delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for
supervision, the probation department or prosecuting attorney may,
or the juvenile court may, in a disposition hearing under Section
54.04 or a modification hearing under Section 54.05, assign a child
one of the following sanction levels according to the child's
(1)  for conduct indicating a need for supervision,
other than conduct described in Section 51.03(b)(2) or (3)
[51.03(b)(3) or (4)] or a Class A or B misdemeanor, the sanction
(2)  for conduct indicating a need for supervision
under Section 51.03(b)(2) or (3) [51.03(b)(3) or (4)] or a Class A
or B misdemeanor, other than a misdemeanor involving the use or
possession of a firearm, or for delinquent conduct under Section
51.03(a)(2), the sanction level is two;
(3)  for a misdemeanor involving the use or possession
of a firearm or for a state jail felony or a felony of the third
degree, the sanction level is three;
(4)  for a felony of the second degree, the sanction
(5)  for a felony of the first degree, other than a
felony involving the use of a deadly weapon or causing serious
bodily injury, the sanction level is five;
(6)  for a felony of the first degree involving the use
of a deadly weapon or causing serious bodily injury, for an
aggravated controlled substance felony, or for a capital felony,
(7)  for a felony of the first degree involving the use
of a deadly weapon or causing serious bodily injury, for an
aggravated controlled substance felony, or for a capital felony, if
the petition has been approved by a grand jury under Section 53.045,
or if a petition to transfer the child to criminal court has been
filed under Section 54.02, the sanction level is seven.
SECTION 12.  The following provisions of the Family Code are
(1)  Sections 51.03(e) and 54.04(n); and
SECTION 13.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only
to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act.
Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, and
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For the
purposes of this section, conduct occurred before the effective
date of this Act if any element of the conduct occurred before that
SECTION 14.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.