---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to neglect of a child and the grounds for termination of the parent-child relationship and possession of a child by the Department of Family and Protective Services."
description: "Relating to neglect of a child and the grounds for termination of the parent-child relationship and possession of a child by the Department of Family and Protective Services."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tx"
legislature: "Texas Legislature"
session: "87"
identifier: "HB 2536"
citation: "Texas HB 2536 (87)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["FAMILY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES", "DEPARTMENT OF (V0461)", "Family--Child Protection (I0351)", "Family--Parent & Child (I0355)", "Health Care Providers (I0387)", "PARENTAL RIGHTS (S0095)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Buckingham", "Cook", "Krause", "Neave", "Swanson"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 49
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2021-03-01"
last_action: "2021-05-15"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/45bee9bd-f012-42d5-8126-3848c2cce47d"
source_url: "ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/87R/billhistory/house_bills/HB02500_HB02599/HB 2536.xml"
source_hash: "f9580bb792c41d8895c8d22edb78b8693b370a742a68ad0a451de22061909a03"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tx"]
---

# Texas HB 2536 (87) — Relating to neglect of a child and the grounds for termination of the parent-child relationship and possession of a child by the Department of Family and Protective Services.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB02536I.HTM)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB02536E.HTM)
3. **House Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB02536H.HTM)
4. **Senate Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB02536S.HTM)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB02536F.HTM)

## Sponsors

- Buckingham — primary (person)
- Cook — primary (person)
- Krause — primary (person)
- Neave — primary (person)
- Swanson — primary (person)
- Cain — cosponsor (person)
- Cason — cosponsor (person)
- Guillen — cosponsor (person)
- Hall — cosponsor (person)
- Hull — cosponsor (person)
- Middleton — cosponsor (person)
- Minjarez — cosponsor (person)
- Slaton — cosponsor (person)
- Spiller — cosponsor (person)
- Tinderholt — cosponsor (person)
- Vasut — cosponsor (person)
- White — cosponsor (person)
- Zaffirini — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-03-01** Filed `filing`
- **2021-03-17** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-03-17** Referred to Juvenile Justice & Family Issues `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-29** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-03-29** Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
- **2021-03-29** Left pending in committee
- **2021-04-01** Considered in formal meeting
- **2021-04-01** Reported favorably w/o amendment(s) `committee-passage`
- **2021-04-06** Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
- **2021-04-06** Committee report distributed
- **2021-04-06** Committee report sent to Calendars
- **2021-04-09** Considered in Calendars
- **2021-04-12** Placed on General State Calendar
- **2021-04-12** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-04-12** Passed to engrossment
- **2021-04-12** Record vote
- **2021-04-12** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-04-13** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-04-13** Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-13** Record vote
- **2021-04-13** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-04-13** Reported engrossed
- **2021-04-13** Received from the House `introduction`
- **2021-04-13** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-04-13** Referred to State Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-19** Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- **2021-04-19** Co-sponsor authorized
- **2021-04-19** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-04-20** Co-sponsor authorized
- **2021-04-21** Reported favorably w/o amendments `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-21** Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
- **2021-04-21** Committee report printed and distributed
- **2021-04-26** Placed on intent calendar
- **2021-04-29** Placed on local & uncontested calendar
- **2021-04-29** Laid before the Senate
- **2021-04-29** Read 2nd time & passed to 3rd reading
- **2021-04-29** Vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-04-29** Three day rule suspended
- **2021-04-29** Record vote
- **2021-04-29** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-04-29** Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-29** Record vote
- **2021-04-29** Senate passage reported
- **2021-04-30** Reported enrolled
- **2021-05-03** Signed in the House
- **2021-05-03** Signed in the Senate
- **2021-05-04** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-15** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-15** Effective immediately `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/45bee9bd-f012-42d5-8126-3848c2cce47d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Texas legislature records).