TX HB5637

Expands the definition of "family protection services" under the Government Code to explicitly include services subject to the federal Family First Prevention Services Act (Title VII, Div. E, Pub. L. No. 115-123)

Family protection services continue to cover legal representation and expert assistance (attorneys, investigators, social workers, forensic and mental health experts) for indigent parents and children

Services apply in two contexts: suits filed by the Department of Family and Protective Services against a parent, or department investigations of a parent

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission administers these family protection services

Effective date is September 1, 2025