S.B. No. 578
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 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(a), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) On request by a person protected by an order or member of
the family or household of a person protected by an order, the court
may exclude from a protective order:
(1) the address, county of residence, and telephone
number of[:
[(1)] a person protected by the order[, in which case
the order shall state the county in which the person resides]; or
(2) the address and telephone number of:
(A) the place of employment or business of a
person protected by the order; or
(B) [(3)] the child-care facility or school a
child protected by the order attends or in which the child resides.
SECTION 3. (a) Section 82.011, Family Code, as amended by
this Act, applies only to an application for a protective order that
is filed on or after the effective date of this Act. An application
for a protective order filed before the effective date of this Act
is governed by the law in effect on the date the application is
filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
(b) Section 85.007, Family Code, as amended by this Act,
applies to a protective order regardless of whether the protective
order was rendered before, on, or after the effective date of this
Act.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 578 passed the Senate on
March 13, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 578 passed the House on
May 9, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 130, Nays 12, two
present not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Governor