HB 116

"✅ HB 116: A Rare Win for Families—and a Warning Shot to CPS

Texas just did something right. HB 116 repeals one of the most abused laws in our child welfare system—one that let CPS and the courts terminate a parent’s rights just for missing paperwork or falling behind on a state-ordered checklist.

Not for abuse. Not for neglect.
Just for being too poor, too overwhelmed, or too unsupported to meet every demand on time.

That’s what Section 161.001(b)(1)(O) allowed. And that’s what HB 116 strikes down.

Here’s why it matters:

Parents were losing their children—not because they were dangerous, but because they couldn’t tick every box in a CPS plan. Miss a counseling session? Terminated. Delay in getting housing? Terminated. Transportation fell through? Terminated.

And once rights were terminated, those children could be adopted out—forever—even if the parent had turned their life around.

HB 116 finally says: No more.

If the state wants to take your child permanently, it now has to prove real harm—not just noncompliance. It’s a return to sanity. And due process. And justice.

This bill doesn’t protect abusers. It doesn’t lower the bar for child safety. It protects families from a system that too often confuses poverty with neglect—and uses checklists as weapons.

But let’s be clear: this was a tool CPS relied on. And now that it’s gone, we should expect some to shift toward broader, squishier accusations like “constructive abandonment” or “emotional endangerment” to reach the same outcome.

HB 116 fixed the law. Now we have to fix the culture.

This win was possible because lawmakers across the aisle listened to real families, real attorneys, and real Texans who’ve seen the damage up close. Credit where it’s due: Dutton and Kolkhorst got this one right.

But the pressure isn’t off. It’s on.

If you care about parental rights, due process, and stopping state overreach where it actually hurts—you should know about this bill. Support it. Talk about it. And keep an eye on the people and agencies who didn’t want to lose that shortcut.

Because they’ll find a new one if we’re not watching.

✅ #HB116 #TexasPolicy #StayInformed #WatchTheDetails"