Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers introduced HB 1821, a bill on Crimes and Minors, to the Texas House on Monday, Jan. 13 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’relating to information regarding the procedures and available resources for the sealing of juvenile records’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
The bill amends the Family Code to improve information dissemination about sealing juvenile records. It mandates that when a child is referred to or discharged from the juvenile probation department, the department must provide both a written and oral explanation regarding the sealing process. This comprehensive guidance must include the child’s eligibility and available resources, like low or no-cost legal assistance. Additionally, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department is required to publish a brochure online detailing the record-sealing process and resources. The State Bar of Texas is tasked with creating an online directory of attorneys offering low or no-cost services for sealing juvenile records. The act is effective Sept. 1, 2025.
Rhetta Andrews Bowers, the vice chair of the House Committee on Local & Consent Calendars, proposed another five bills during the 89(R) legislative session. She is also a member of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and a member of the House Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency.
Bowers graduated from Texas Southern University with a BA.
Rhetta Andrews Bowers is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state’s 113rd House district. She replaced previous state representative Cindy Burkett in 2019.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Legislative Session | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89(R) | HB 1826 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to depression screenings for certain women in county jail or in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice |
| 89(R) | HB 1825 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to the exchange of certain information between the Department of Family and Protective Services or certain foster care services contractors and a state or local juvenile justice agency |
| 89(R) | HB 1824 | 01/13/2025 | Related to monitoring domestic violence offenders through advanced tracking systems to enhance victim safety |
| 89(R) | HB 1822 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to the jurisdiction of a juvenile court over certain persons and to the sealing and nondisclosure of certain juvenile records |
| 89(R) | HB 1820 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to the expunction of arrest records and files when a grand jury fails to find that probable cause exists to believe the alleged offense was committed |
| 88(R) | HB 4764 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the use of municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue in certain municipalities |
| 88(R) | HB 5083 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the permissible uses of the allotment for students with dyslexia or related disorders under the Foundation School Program |
| 88(R) | HB 5086 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to an application for a charter for an open-enrollment charter school and to the expansion of a request for the revision of a charter for an open-enrollment charter school |
| 88(R) | HB 5087 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the regulation of abortion, including abortion complication reporting and the repeal of certain laws prohibiting abortion |
| 88(R) | HB 5264 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the adoption and use of certain performance indicators to measure and evaluate career school or college programs |
| 88(R) | HB 2042 | 02/08/2023 | Relating to the use, possession, delivery, or manufacture of testing equipment that identifies the presence of fentanyl, alpha-methylfentanyl, or any other derivative of fentanyl |
| 88(R) | HB 2043 | 02/08/2023 | Relating to a criminal justice system pretrial and sentencing database established by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System |
| 88(R) | HB 2044 | 02/08/2023 | Relating to depression screenings for certain women in county jail or in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice |
| 88(R) | HB 2045 | 02/08/2023 | Relating to an exemption from court reporter transcript fees for a county that provides and maintains court reporting equipment |
| 88(R) | HB 874 | 12/02/2022 | Relating to an exemption to the cancellation of a water right for nonuse |
| 88(R) | HB 567 | 11/14/2022 | Relating to discrimination on the basis of hair texture or protective hairstyle associated with race |
| 88(R) | HB 568 | 11/14/2022 | Relating to education and training for peace officers on interacting with persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias |
| 88(R) | HB 569 | 11/14/2022 | Relating to activities the tolerance of which may constitute maintenance of a common nuisance |
| 88(R) | HB 572 | 11/14/2022 | Relating to the confiscation of packaged, unopened fireworks by a municipality that regulates fireworks |
