---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to proof of the identity of a child's parents in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship."
description: "Relating to proof of the identity of a child's parents in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tx"
legislature: "Texas Legislature"
session: "89R"
identifier: "HB 1973"
citation: "Texas HB 1973 (89R)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Aliens (I0032)", "BIRTH & DEATH CERTIFICATES (S6418)", "Courts--General (I0160)", "Family--Parent & Child (I0355)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cook", "Zaffirini"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 56
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2025-01-22"
last_action: "2025-06-20"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/58f77f8b-f09f-4d86-bd23-f57ba2ecc566"
source_url: "ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/89R/billhistory/house_bills/HB01900_HB01999/HB 1973.xml"
source_hash: "de9c81d6f12a6852c281d88fe1c387bfec5670b969214c736f78b5fbde0c7665"
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 1973 (89R) — Relating to proof of the identity of a child's parents in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.

## 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/89R/billtext/html/HB01973I.HTM)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB01973E.HTM)
3. **House Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB01973H.HTM)
4. **Senate Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB01973S.HTM)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB01973F.HTM)

## Votes

- passage — **133–2** (pass) · upper
- passage — **142–0** (pass) · lower
- passage — **133–0** (pass) · lower
- passage — **133–2** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Cook — primary (person)
- Zaffirini — primary (person)
- Morales Shaw — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-22** Filed `filing`
- **2025-03-14** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-03-14** Referred to s/c on Family & Fiduciary Relationships by Speaker `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-24** Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
- **2025-03-24** Considered by s/c in public hearing
- **2025-03-24** Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
- **2025-03-24** Left pending in subcommittee
- **2025-04-09** Recalled from subcommittee
- **2025-04-09** Considered in public hearing
- **2025-04-09** Reported favorably w/o amendment(s) `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-23** Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator `filing`
- **2025-04-23** Committee report distributed
- **2025-04-25** Committee report sent to Calendars
- **2025-04-28** Considered in Calendars
- **2025-05-01** Placed on General State Calendar
- **2025-05-01** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2025-05-01** Passed to engrossment
- **2025-05-01** Record vote
- **2025-05-01** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-02** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2025-05-02** Passed `passage`
- **2025-05-02** Record vote
- **2025-05-02** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-02** Reported engrossed
- **2025-05-05** Received from the House `introduction`
- **2025-05-05** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-05-05** Referred to Jurisprudence `referral-committee`
- **2025-05-21** Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- **2025-05-21** Considered in public hearing
- **2025-05-21** Vote taken in committee
- **2025-05-23** Reported favorably as substituted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-05-23** Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
- **2025-05-23** Committee report printed and distributed
- **2025-05-28** Placed on local & uncontested calendar
- **2025-05-28** Laid before the Senate `receipt`
- **2025-05-28** Read 2nd time & passed to 3rd reading `reading-2`
- **2025-05-28** Vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-28** Three day rule suspended
- **2025-05-28** Record vote
- **2025-05-28** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2025-05-28** Passed `passage`
- **2025-05-28** Record vote
- **2025-05-29** Senate passage as amended reported `amendment-passage`
- **2025-05-29** Senate Amendments distributed
- **2025-05-29** Senate Amendments Analysis distributed
- **2025-05-30** House concurs in Senate amendment(s)
- **2025-05-30** Record vote
- **2025-05-30** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-30** Text of Senate Amendment(s)
- **2025-05-30** House concurs in Senate amendment(s)-reported
- **2025-05-31** Reported enrolled `enrolled`
- **2025-06-01** Signed in the House `passage`
- **2025-06-01** Signed in the Senate `passage`
- **2025-06-02** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-06-20** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-06-20** Effective on 9/1/25 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/58f77f8b-f09f-4d86-bd23-f57ba2ecc566`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Texas legislature records).