HB 547 · 2025-2026 · House
Children's Services Protection Act.
What It Actually Does
The bill primarily limits liability for nongovernmental contractors providing children's services and caps their damages to the same low levels as government agencies.
The bill establishes that private contractors working with government agencies on children's services get the benefit of government statutory damage caps, which are typically much lower than what would be available in regular civil lawsuits. While it does make contractors liable for their own negligence (not the government's), the overall effect is to significantly limit financial accountability for private entities handling vulnerable children.
Why the name is misleading
The title 'Children's Services Protection Act' suggests the bill protects children or children's services, when it actually protects private contractors from full financial liability when they harm children through negligence.
Status
In Senate committee
Sponsors
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Votes
5/7/2025 12:01 PM · Children's Services Protection Act. Second Reading · House
House Vote · Failed 101–8
✓ 101 votes, crossed 72-vote threshold
Party Breakdown
Roll Call
How They Voted
House · Children's Services Protection Act. Second Reading · 5/7/2025 12:01 PM
| Name ↕ | Party ↑ | District ↕ | Vote ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | R | - | Yea |
| Almond | R | - | Yea |
| Arp | R | - | Yea |
| B. Jones | R | - | Yea |
| Balkcom | R | - | Yea |
| Bell | R | - | Yea |
| Biggs | R | - | Yea |
| Blackwell | R | - | Yea |
| Blust | R | - | Yea |
| Branson | R | - | Yea |
| Brisson | R | - | Yea |
| Brody | R | - | Yea |
| Cairns | R | - | Yea |
| Campbell | R | - | Excused Absence |
| Carson Smith | R | - | Yea |
| Carver | R | - | Yea |
| Chesser | R | - | Yea |
| Clampitt | R | - | Excused Absence |
| Cotham | R | - | Yea |
| D. Hall (Speaker) | R | - | Yea |
| Davis | R | - | Yea |
| Dixon | R | - | Yea |
| Echevarria | R | - | Yea |
| Eddins | R | - | Yea |
| Gable | R | - | Yea |
| Gillespie | R | - | Yea |
| Goodwin | R | - | Yea |
| Greene | R | - | Yea |
| Hastings | R | - | Yea |
| Howard | R | - | Yea |
| Humphrey | R | - | Yea |
| Huneycutt | R | - | Excused Absence |
| Iler | R | - | Yea |
| Johnson | R | - | Yea |
| K. Hall | R | - | Yea |
| Kidwell | R | - | Yea |
| Lambeth | R | - | Yea |
| Loftis | R | - | Yea |
| Lowery | R | - | Yea |
| McNeely | R | - | Not Voting |
| Miller | R | - | Yea |
| Moss | R | - | Yea |
| N. Jackson | R | - | Yea |
| Paré | R | - | Yea |
| Penny | R | - | Yea |
| Pickett | R | - | Not Voting |
| Pike | R | - | Yea |
| Pless | R | - | Yea |
| Potts | R | - | Yea |
| Pyrtle | R | - | Yea |
| Reeder | R | - | Yea |
| Rhyne | R | - | Yea |
| Riddell | R | - | Yea |
| Ross | R | - | Yea |
| Sauls | R | - | Yea |
| Schietzelt | R | - | Yea |
| Scott | R | - | Yea |
| Setzer | R | - | Yea |
| Shepard | R | - | Yea |
| Stevens | R | - | Yea |
| Strickland | R | - | Yea |
| Torbett | R | - | Yea |
| Tyson | R | - | Yea |
| Ward | R | - | Yea |
| Warren | R | - | Yea |
| Watford | R | - | Yea |
| Wheatley | R | - | Yea |
| White | R | - | Yea |
| Willis | R | - | Yea |
| Winslow | R | - | Yea |
| Zenger | R | - | Yea |
| A. Jones | D | - | Yea |
| Ager | D | - | Yea |
| Alston | D | - | Yea |
| Baker | D | - | Excused Absence |
| Ball | D | - | Nay |
| Belk | D | - | Yea |
| Brockman | D | - | Yea |
| Buansi | D | - | Yea |
| Budd | D | - | Yea |
| Butler | D | - | Nay |
| Carney | D | - | Yea |
| Cervania | D | - | Yea |
| Charles Smith | D | - | Yea |
| Clark | D | - | Yea |
| Cohn | D | - | Yea |
| Colvin | D | - | Yea |
| Crawford | D | - | Yea |
| Cunningham | D | - | Yea |
| Dahle | D | - | Yea |
| Dew | D | - | Excused Absence |
| F. Jackson | D | - | Yea |
| G. Brown | D | - | Yea |
| G. Pierce | D | - | Yea |
| Greenfield | D | - | Nay |
| Harrison | D | - | Nay |
| Hawkins | D | - | Yea |
| Helfrich | D | - | Yea |
| Jeffers | D | - | Yea |
| Johnson-Hostler | D | - | Yea |
| K. Brown | D | - | Yea |
| Liu | D | - | Yea |
| Lofton | D | - | Excused Absence |
| Logan | D | - | Yea |
| Longest | D | - | Yea |
| Lopez | D | - | Nay |
| Majeed | D | - | Yea |
| Morey | D | - | Nay |
| Pittman | D | - | Yea |
| Prather | D | - | Excused Absence |
| Price | D | - | Nay |
| Quick | D | - | Yea |
| R. Pierce | D | - | Yea |
| Reives | D | - | Yea |
| Roberson | D | - | Yea |
| Rubin | D | - | Excused Absence |
| T. Brown | D | - | Yea |
| Turner | D | - | Excused Absence |
| von Haefen | D | - | Nay |
| Willingham | D | - | Yea |
Highlighted rows indicate crossover votes.
Sources