Relating to the reporting of certain criminal history record information on a consumer report.
SB 585 amends Texas consumer reporting law to restrict what older criminal history information may appear on a consumer report. Under current law, consumer reporting agencies generally may not report arrests, indictments, or convictions if the disposition, release, or parole date is more than seven years old; the bill adds a new category barring reporting of a criminal conviction or juvenile adjudication when the person is at least 21 years old, the offense occurred before age 18, and the sentence has been completed. The bill also makes a technical conforming change by removing an obsolete bracketed reference in the statute and retains existing limits on reporting bankruptcies, judgments, tax liens, and certain medical collections.
The bill applies only to consumer reports furnished on or after September 1, 2025. Reports furnished before that date remain governed by prior law. In practical terms, the measure would further limit the use of older juvenile-related criminal records in consumer reporting, affecting consumer reporting agencies, background screening practices, and individuals with past juvenile justice involvement.
SB 585 would amend Section 20.05(a) of the Texas Business & Commerce Code, which governs the age limits on information consumer reporting agencies may include in consumer reports. The principal legal change is the addition of a prohibition on reporting certain criminal convictions or juvenile adjudications from when a person was under 18, once that person is at least 21 and has completed the sentence. The bill does not alter the existing seven-year limits for most criminal records, bankruptcies, judgments, tax liens, or medical collections, but it expands the category of protected older records by specifically addressing juvenile offenses carried into adulthood. The change would affect consumer reporting agencies, employers and landlords that rely on background reports, and consumers with juvenile records.
The available context suggests a generally favorable or at least noncontroversial posture, as the bill was referred to the Senate Business & Commerce Committee and no recorded votes or committee testimony were provided. The caption and text indicate a consumer-protection and privacy-oriented measure, which typically aligns with efforts to reduce the long-term collateral consequences of juvenile records. Because there are no transcripts or votes, there is no evidence in the provided materials of organized opposition or amendment debate.
The main potential point of contention is the balance between consumer privacy and the interests of employers, landlords, lenders, and background-check companies that use criminal history information to assess risk. Supporters would likely emphasize giving adults a fresh start by limiting reporting of juvenile offenses after sentence completion, while critics could argue that restricting access to such records may reduce transparency in screening decisions. The bill also preserves existing reporting rules for other categories, so any disagreement appears focused on the added juvenile-record restriction rather than the broader consumer-reporting framework.