With your help, we’re making a difference for the children of Texas.
Over the past few weeks, CAAP has been working with other groups to support shared parenting. We’ve talked about the importance of reforming custody laws to support shared parenting. And we told you about HB803, the shared parenting bill currently in the Texas Legislature. We even asked you to help us contact the Juvenile Justice & Family Issues Committee in the Texas House of Representatives and ask that they give HB803 a hearing.
I’m happy to say that our hard work has paid off! The committee has scheduled HB803 for a hearing on Monday morning. While it’s a bit late in the legislative session, there’s still enough time left for the bill to pass. Deborah and I were among those who wrote to the committee chair, asking for the hearing, and we thank all of you who did the same. This is democracy in action!
If you are a Texas resident, I hope you will consider submitting testimony on HB803. (Deborah and I submitted testimony in our personal capacity as parents and Texas residents – you can read it below.) To submit written testimony, just click here. For more information about in-person testimony, go here.
While it may seem intimidating to submit testimony on a bill, it doesn’t have to be. Don’t worry about using formal or legal language. Just state your position clearly and add any additional points you wish to include.
Some items you might want to mention while submitting testimony on HB803 include:
- Shared parenting is a more equitable way to address custody.
- Shared parenting makes it easier for children to have two active and involved parents.
- The current system leads to custody arrangements that overburden mothers and reduce fathers to visitors in their children’s lives.
- Minorities and low-income families suffer more under the current system due to the expense and difficulty of litigating shared custody.
- Children without two involved parents have higher rates of suicide, drug use, mental health issues, incarceration, and are more likely to drop out of school
This is a great chance to promote Biblical values and defend the family. If you’re a Texas resident, I hope you will submit testimony on the bill. And if you live in a state that doesn’t have shared parenting, I hope you’ll work with us to change that,
Owens-HB803-Testimony
