TX HB624

Requires courts to consider a defendant's status as the primary caretaker of a child under 18 when the defendant files a written motion, before imposing sentences requiring confinement or granting deferred adjudication

Defines "primary caretaker" as a person who provides for a dependent child's housing, health care, financial support, education, family support, or safety, including those who temporarily relinquished custody due to pretrial detention

Authorizes courts to place qualifying defendants on community supervision or deferred adjudication without requiring confinement as a condition, emphasizing parent-child unity and community-based rehabilitation

Allows courts to impose supervision conditions including substance abuse treatment, domestic violence education, abuse counseling, anger management, vocational training, housing assistance, parenting skills classes, and family counseling

Applies to defendants who enter pleas or are sentenced on or after the September 1, 2025 effective date, regardless of when the offense was committed