Tex. Fam. Code § 262.105 · Subchapter B. TAKING POSSESSION OF CHILD
FILING PETITION AFTER TAKING POSSESSION OF CHILD IN EMERGENCY.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) When a child is taken into possession without a court order, the person taking the child into possession, without unnecessary delay, shall:
(1) file a suit affecting the parent-child relationship;
(2) request the court to appoint an attorney ad litem for the child; and
(3) request an initial hearing to be held by no later than the first business day after the date the child is taken into possession.
(b) An original suit filed by a governmental entity after taking possession of a child under Section 262.104 must be supported by an affidavit stating facts sufficient to satisfy a person of ordinary prudence and caution that:
(1) based on the affiant's personal knowledge or on information furnished by another person corroborated by the affiant's personal knowledge, one of the following circumstances existed at the time the child was taken into possession:
(A) there was an immediate danger to the physical health or safety of the child;
(B) the child was the victim of sexual abuse or of trafficking under Section 20A.02 or 20A.03, Penal Code;
(C) the parent or person who had possession of the child was using a controlled substance as defined by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, and the use constituted an immediate danger to the physical health or safety of the child; or
(D) the parent or person who had possession of the child permitted the child to remain on premises used for the manufacture of methamphetamine; and
(2) based on the affiant's personal knowledge:
(A) continuation of the child in the home would have been contrary to the child's welfare;
(B) there was no time, consistent with the physical health or safety of the child, for a full adversary hearing under Subchapter C;
(C) the child would not be adequately protected in the child's home with an order for the removal of the alleged perpetrator under Section 262.1015 or 262.1016 or a protective order issued under Title 4;
(D) placing the child with a relative or designated caregiver or with a caregiver under a parental child safety placement agreement authorized by Subchapter L, Chapter 264:
(i) was offered but refused;
(ii) was not possible because there was no time, consistent with the physical health or safety of the child and the nature of the emergency, to conduct the caregiver evaluation; or
(iii) would pose an immediate danger to the physical health or safety of the child; and
(E) reasonable efforts, consistent with the circumstances and providing for the safety of the child, were made to prevent or eliminate the need for the removal of the child.
(c) The affidavit required by Subsection (b) must describe with specificity in a separate section all reasonable efforts, consistent with the circumstances and providing for the safety of the child, that were made to prevent or eliminate the need for the removal of the child.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 809, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Amended by:
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 1.158, eff. April 2, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 944 (S.B. 206), Sec. 86(13), eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 910 (S.B. 999), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 672 (H.B. 968), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2023.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 675 (H.B. 1087), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2023.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 204 (H.B. 1620), Sec. 7.004, eff. September 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.262.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 f684a2ac0965e434aeed87cdd63c7562af92010be3e66a069aae9a69fbc3e327
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Family Code
- Tex. Fam. Code tit. 4PROTECTIVE ORDERS AND FAMILY VIOLENCEPrinted as Title 4
- Tex. Fam. Code § 262.1015REMOVAL OF ALLEGED PERPETRATOR; OFFENSE.Printed as Section 262.1015 or 262.1016
- Tex. Fam. Code § 262.1016AGREED ORDER FOR REMOVAL OF ALLEGED PERPETRATOR.Printed as Section 262.1015 or 262.1016
- Tex. Fam. Code § 262.104TAKING POSSESSION OF A CHILD IN EMERGENCY WITHOUT A COURT ORDER.Printed as Section 262.104
- Tex. Fam. Code ch. 264, subch. LPARENTAL CHILD SAFETY PLACEMENTSPrinted as Subchapter L, Chapter 264
Health and Safety Code
Cited by 4 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Fam. Code § 262.105. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Family Code
- Tex. Fam. Code § 261.307INFORMATION RELATING TO INVESTIGATION PROCEDURE AND CHILD PLACEMENT RESOURCES.Printed as Section 262.101 or 262.105
- Tex. Fam. Code § 262.201FULL ADVERSARY HEARING; FINDINGS OF THE COURT.Printed as Section 262.101 or 262.105
- Tex. Fam. Code § 262.304FILING PETITION AFTER ACCEPTING POSSESSION OF ABANDONED CHILD.Printed as Section 262.105
- Tex. Fam. Code § 264.907INCLUSIONS IN REPORTS OF PARENTAL CHILD SAFETY PLACEMENTS.Printed as Section 262.101 or 262.105
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.