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Signed Into Law
Signed May 13, 2025Effective 2025-09-01
SB836

Regular Session

Relating to victims of sex offenses, sex-based human trafficking offenses, or acts of a sexual nature and to the confidentiality of or restrictions on the availability of certain property, material, or information regarding those victims, offenses, or acts.

Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis

SB836: Government Affairs Overview

SB836 mandates strict chain-of-custody and non-disclosure protocols for evidence in sexual offense and human trafficking cases, effectively ending standard discovery copying practices for sensitive materials. Criminal defense firms, law enforcement agencies, and court administrators must immediately overhaul document retention, victim intake, and courtroom broadcasting policies to comply by September 1, 2025.

Sen. Angela Paxton·Senate Bill·Regular Session

Moderate
Low Cost
Effective:2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies

Law Enforcement Agencies • Office of the Attorney General • Offices of the Attorney Representing the State (Prosecutors) • Texas Courts (Criminal and Civil)

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SB836
Moderate
Relating to victims of sex offenses, sex-based human trafficking offenses, or acts of a sexual nature and to the confidentiality of or restrictions on...
Moderate Compliance Urgency
Requires near-term attention
Cost Impact
Low
Effective
2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies
Law Enforcement AgenciesOffice of the Attorney GeneralOffices of the Attorney Represen...Texas Courts
Primary Author: Sen. Angela Paxton
89th Texas Legislature
jdkey.com
01

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

  • Effective Date: September 1, 2025
  • Compliance Deadline: September 1, 2025. (All discovery requests, court proceedings, and victim responses occurring on or after this date must comply, regardless of when the offense occurred).
  • Agency Rulemaking: The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) must develop and distribute a standardized Pseudonym Form by September 1, 2025.
  • *Regulatory Gray Zone:* If the OAG delays release of the form, agencies are still statutorily required to maintain confidentiality. Agencies should draft interim internal forms to bridge any gap.

Immediate Action Plan

  • 1. Law Enforcement: Draft and print the revised "Notice to Adult Victims" card containing the new statutory language regarding protective orders and exams before August 15, 2025.
  • 2. Defense Counsel: Update client intake checklists to include the "Return or Destroy" requirement for sensitive discovery materials.
  • 3. Court Administrators: Configure courtroom technology to automatically disable livestreaming capabilities for dockets involving sexual offenses or trafficking.
  • 4. IT Departments: Audit digital storage permissions to ensure "sealed" evidence is segregated from general case files.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

  • Defense Retainer Agreements: Must be amended to explicitly state that the client is prohibited by Texas law from receiving copies of forensic exams or invasive visual recordings. This clause is necessary to prevent grievance filings regarding "withheld" evidence.
  • Cloud/IT Vendor Agreements: Contracts with Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS) must include indemnification clauses specific to the breach of sealed/restricted state records.

Hiring/Training

  • Law Enforcement: Patrol officers require immediate training on the revised "Notice to Adult Victims of Sexual Assault." Old reference cards must be destroyed.
  • Legal Staff: Defense and prosecution support staff must be trained on "View Only" discovery workflows. Staff must ensure defendants review evidence only under supervision and that no digital copies are created.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

  • Pseudonym Synchronization: Law enforcement and prosecutors must implement a bi-directional sharing protocol. If a victim submits a pseudonym form to one entity, it must be immediately forwarded to the other.
  • Destruction Certificates: Defense firms must implement a "Certificate of Destruction/Return" log to prove compliance with Art. 39.152(c) upon case disposition.
  • Redaction Workflows: Police blotters and public media summaries must be scrubbed of victim data immediately upon receipt of the pseudonym form.

Fees & Costs

  • No New State Fees: The bill does not impose new filing fees.
  • Operational Costs: Agencies will incur minor costs for re-printing victim notice cards. Defense firms may incur costs for secure, non-downloadable cloud viewing platforms for client discovery review.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

  • "Electronic Transmission" Scope: Section 8 prohibits the electronic transmission of proceedings. It is unclear if this strictly bans public broadcasting (YouTube/Livestreams) or if it also prohibits secure remote testimony (Zoom/Teams) for witnesses. Until judicial guidance is issued, presume a total ban on electronic transmission for these dockets.
  • "Best Interest of the Public": The statute allows courts to unseal forensic evidence if it is in the "best interest of the public." This standard is undefined and will likely result in litigation regarding media access in high-profile cases.

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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.

02

Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

Filed
Jan 17, 2025
Passed Senate
Apr 2, 2025
Passed House
Apr 29, 2025
Signed
May 13, 2025
Effective
Sep 1, 2025
TopicsCourtsCourts--prosecuting AttorneysCrimesCrimes--against PersonsCrimes--against Persons--sexualCriminal ProcedureCriminal Procedure--generalEmail & Electronic CommunicationsEvidenceHuman TraffickingProtective OrdersSexual AssaultVideotape & FilmCrime VictimsForensic TestingLaw Enforcement
03

Senate Authors

Sen. Angela PaxtonRepublican · Primary Author
Coauthors (1)

House Sponsors

Rep. Lacey HullRepublican · Primary Sponsor
Joint Sponsors

Bill Text(with markup)

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

Related Legislation

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More from Sen. Angela Paxton

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Related by Topic

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Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB836

Q

What does Texas SB836 do?

SB836 mandates strict chain-of-custody and non-disclosure protocols for evidence in sexual offense and human trafficking cases, effectively ending standard discovery copying practices for sensitive materials. Criminal defense firms, law enforcement agencies, and court administrators must immediately overhaul document retention, victim intake, and courtroom broadcasting policies to comply by September 1, 2025.

Q

Who authored SB836?

SB836 was authored by Texas Senator Angela Paxton during the Regular Session.

Q

When was SB836 signed into law?

SB836 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 13, 2025.

Q

Which agencies enforce SB836?

SB836 is enforced by Law Enforcement Agencies, Office of the Attorney General, Offices of the Attorney Representing the State (Prosecutors) and Texas Courts (Criminal and Civil).

Q

How significant are the changes in SB836?

The regulatory priority for SB836 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.

Q

What is the cost impact of SB836?

The cost impact of SB836 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

Q

What topics does SB836 address?

SB836 addresses topics including courts, courts--prosecuting attorneys, crimes, crimes--against persons and crimes--against persons--sexual.

Q

What are the key dates for SB836?

Key dates for SB836: Effective date is 2025-09-01. Rulemaking: Develop and distribute a standardized pseudonym form to all law enforcement agencies and state attorneys to record victim details while maintaining confidentiality. (2025-09-01). Consult with legal counsel regarding applicability.

Need Strategic Guidance on This Legislation?

JD Key Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based government affairs firm led by James Dickey, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. We specialize in Texas regulatory compliance and legislative strategy for data centers, energy, banking, and manufacturing.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: January 11, 2026