Relating to the omission or redaction of certain personal information from certain real property records.
CriticalImmediate action required
Low Cost
Effective:2025-06-20
Enforcing Agencies
County Clerks • County Commissioners Courts
01
Compliance Analysis
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Implementation Timeline
Effective Date: June 20, 2025
Compliance Deadline:Immediate. The bill passed with the necessary supermajority for immediate effect. If your database is live today without the required disclaimer, you are non-compliant.
Agency Rulemaking: No state-level rulemaking is anticipated. However, individual County Clerks may issue specific procedural directives regarding how they will transmit redaction requests to your support teams.
Immediate Action Plan
1.Deploy Disclaimer: Immediately update your public-facing portal to include the statement: *"Certain personal information has been redacted from this database pursuant to Texas Property Code Section 11.008. This online database is not the official repository of real property records and may not reflect the complete contents of the official records."*
2.Update Workflows: Create a specific ticket category for "HB4350 Redactions" to ensure these requests are prioritized and tracked separately from standard support tickets.
3.Notify County Clients: Send a memo to your County Clerk points-of-contact confirming you are aware of HB4350 and requesting their preferred protocol for transmitting redaction orders to your team.
4.Check Insurance: Verify that your Errors & Omissions (E&O) policy covers liability for the accidental disclosure of protected personal information (SSNs, home addresses) of law enforcement personnel.
Operational Changes Required
Contracts
Master Services Agreements (MSAs): Review all active contracts with Texas counties. While amendments may not be strictly necessary if a "Compliance with Laws" clause exists, you must ensure that redacting data does not trigger penalties under Service Level Agreements (SLAs) regarding "data completeness" or "uptime/accuracy."
Subcontracts: If you outsource the web hosting or interface layer to a third party, you must flow these requirements down immediately to ensure the disclaimer appears on the user-facing site.
Hiring/Training
IT & Web Development: Developers must hard-code the statutory disclaimer into the website template (header, footer, or search results page).
Customer Support: Staff receiving data correction requests must be trained to identify Section 11.008(j) requests. They must distinguish between a standard "data error" and a "statutory redaction request" to ensure the latter is processed without requiring a court order, provided it comes through the proper county channels.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
Mandatory Website Disclaimer: You must display a "clear and conspicuous" statement on the database website confirming:
1. Redactions have been made pursuant to state law; and
2. The online database is not the official repository and may not reflect complete records.
Redaction Logs: Maintain an internal audit trail of all redactions performed under this statute. You must be able to map every data omission to a specific written request or County Clerk directive to defend against claims of data manipulation or negligence.
Fees & Costs
Cost Impact: Low. The primary costs are internal administrative time for processing requests and one-time development costs to update the website interface.
Fee Recovery: The statute does not authorize vendors to charge fees to the protected individuals for these redactions.
Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations
"Clear and Conspicuous": The statute does not define font size, color, or placement.
*Risk:* Placing the disclaimer solely in a "Terms of Use" hyperlink may be deemed insufficient.
*Guidance:* Place the text in the footer of every search result page or as a banner on the initial search query screen.
Verification of "Family Members": The law extends protection to family members of officers/judges but does not specify how a private vendor verifies this relationship.
*Risk:* Accepting direct requests from unverified individuals creates liability for improper record alteration.
*Guidance:* Do not adjudicate identity. Establish a workflow where all redaction requests must be routed through and verified by the County Clerk before your team executes the data suppression.
Need Help Understanding Implementation?
Our government affairs experts can walk you through this bill's specific impact on your operations.
Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.
The bill author has informed the committee that peace officers confront daily risks inherent to their profession and, beyond the physical dangers encountered in the line of duty, face escalating threats from individuals who may seek retribution by exploiting publicly accessible personal information. The digital age has amplified these risks, as online databases can inadvertently serve as tools for those with malicious intent to locate and potentially harm officers and their families. The bill author has also informed the committee that ensuring the safety of officers is paramount, and while transparency in public records is a valued principle, it must be balanced against the legitimate privacy and security concerns of individuals, especially those serving in sensitive roles. Current statutes afford similar protections to federal judges, U.S. attorneys, and state judges. H.B. 4350 seeks to address this issue and extend safeguards to peace officers by allowing those officers to request the redaction of their personal information, specifically social security numbers, driver's license numbers, and residential addresses, from online real property records to proactively protect their personal information without compromising the overall integrity of public records.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 4350 amends the Property Code to include a peace officer and a special investigator, as specified by applicable provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, among the persons for whom a county clerk, on receipt of a written request from the person, must omit or redact the person's social security number, driver's license number, and residence address from a real property record instrument that is available in an online database made public by the clerk or by a provider with which the county commissioners court contracts to provide the database.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
HB4350 mandates immediate operational changes for technology vendors hosting online real property records for Texas counties. If your company contracts with a County Commissioners Court to provide public access to land records, you must immediately implement redaction protocols for protected individuals (peace officers, judges) and display a mandatory legal disclaimer on your public-facing portal to avoid breach of contract and liability. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 Compliance Deadline: Immediate.
Q
Who authored HB4350?
HB4350 was authored by Texas Representative Giovanni Capriglione during the Regular Session.
Q
When was HB4350 signed into law?
HB4350 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
Q
Which agencies enforce HB4350?
HB4350 is enforced by County Clerks and County Commissioners Courts.
Q
How urgent is compliance with HB4350?
The compliance urgency for HB4350 is rated as "critical". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
Q
What is the cost impact of HB4350?
The cost impact of HB4350 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
Q
What topics does HB4350 address?
HB4350 addresses topics including electronic information systems, property interests, property interests--real property, protection of personal information and peace officers.
Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025
Need Strategic Guidance on This Bill?
Need help with Government Relations, Lobbying, or compliance? JD Key Consulting has the expertise you're looking for.
