Bill Text: TX HCR92 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Urging the Texas Judicial Council to require all court professionals to be trauma-informed and trained in recognizing, evaluating, and understanding the evidence and impacts of domestic violence and child abuse.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-05-02 - Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar [HCR92 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HCR92-Comm_Sub.html
| 86R14374 CLE-F | ||
| By: Miller, Leach, Meyer, White, | H.C.R. No. 92 | |
| Davis of Dallas | ||
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| WHEREAS, State courts play an increasingly important role in | ||
| assessing the risk of domestic violence and child abuse in | ||
| families, and the risk to children of such violence and abuse is | ||
| well documented; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Research shows that more than 50,000 children | ||
| annually are left in the care of an abuser following a family | ||
| separation and that after a perpetrator of domestic violence | ||
| separates from the family, a child's risk of abuse increases even if | ||
| the perpetrator has not previously abused the child; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that in 30 | ||
| to 60 percent of cases in which domestic violence or child | ||
| maltreatment is identified in the home, children in the home have | ||
| experienced both forms of abuse; and | ||
| WHEREAS, According to the Domestic Violence Legal | ||
| Empowerment and Appeals Project, abusive parents who are proven | ||
| batterers are often granted sole or joint custody of children or | ||
| given unprotected parenting time by a court over the objection of | ||
| the other parent, placing children at risk of abuse; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Researchers for the Center of Judicial Excellence | ||
| documented the deaths in Texas since 2008 of 68 children who were | ||
| murdered by a parent involved in a divorce, separation, custody, | ||
| visitation, or child support proceeding; often, the court granted | ||
| access to the child over the objection of a protective parent; and | ||
| WHEREAS, It is critical to provide comprehensive training on | ||
| domestic violence and child abuse issues to state court officials | ||
| in order to better prepare them for their vital work; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby respectfully urge the Texas Judicial Council to require all | ||
| court-related professionals to be trauma-informed and trained in | ||
| recognizing, evaluating, and understanding the evidence and | ||
| impacts of domestic violence and child abuse; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That family court professionals prioritize the | ||
| safety of a child who has witnessed domestic violence or is injured | ||
| or abused and resolve child safety risks and claims of family | ||
| violence before taking other actions in the best interest of the | ||
| child; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature schedule hearings on | ||
| family court practices with regard to the objective, fair, and | ||
| unbiased adjudication of children's safety and civil rights; and, | ||
| be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official | ||
| copies of this resolution to the clerk of the Texas Supreme Court | ||
| and to the Texas Judicial Council. | ||
