Texas Senate bill by Sen. West allows court to modify child support under specific custody conditions

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Royce West seeks to amend the Family Code to enable courts to adjust child support orders when custody arrangements or safety placements change, aiming to address parental and child welfare considerations, 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, 55 Democrats and 56 Republicans voted in favor, while 25 Republicans voted against it.

Royce West introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Wednesday, March 5, during the 89th regular legislative session.

West graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BA and again from University of Houston with an MA.

West, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 1993 to represent the state’s 23rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Eddie Bernice Johnson.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the modification of certain orders providing for the support of a child’.

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

In essence, this bill amends the Family Code to allow a court to modify child support orders in cases where the person with physical possession of a child should have the right to receive and manage support payments. Such modifications consider situations where the managing conservator has relinquished care, been incarcerated, or established an agreement under specified legal provisions including a parental child safety placement agreement. Temporary modifications based on a parental child safety placement agreement will automatically terminate either 90 days after signing or on a specified end date. The bill prioritizes motions related to parental safety placement, mandating a hearing within 30 days of filing. Modifications can be served through specified electronic methods, with the requirement of a signed certificate of service. The act takes effect Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. José Menéndez (Democrat – District 26), Sen. César Blanco (Democrat – District 29), and Sen. Judith Zaffirini (Democrat – District 21).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 30, 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.