Resources
Federal and State Laws: Relationship Violence - Texas
Relationship Violence Laws
Domestic & Dating Violence
Domestic and dating violence is abusive behavior between two people who:
• are or were married, dating, or living together
• are related by blood or marriage
• are the biological parents of a child
• are parent and child, including adoptive and foster parents
Abusive behavior includes actual or threatened physical violence or sexual assault.
Statutes
Texas Law
Domestic and Dating
Violence Statutes
Texas Statutes
FAMILY CODE
TITLE 4. PROTECTIVE ORDERS AND FAMILY VIOLENCE
SUBTITLE A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 71. DEFINITIONS
§ 71.003 FAM. Family
"Family" includes individuals related by consanguinity or affinity, as determined under Sections
573.022 and 573.024, Government Code, individuals who are former spouses of each other,
individuals who are the parents of the same child, without regard to marriage, and a foster child
and foster parent, without regard to whether those individuals reside together.
§ 71.004 FAM. Family Violence
"Family violence" means:
(1) an act by a member of a family or household against another member of the family or
household that is intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault or
that is a threat that reasonably places the member in fear of imminent physical harm, bodily
injury, assault, or sexual assault, but does not include defensive measures to protect oneself;
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(2) abuse, as that term is defined by Sections 261.001(1)(C), (E), (G), (H), (I), (J), and (K), by a
member of a family or household toward a child of the family or household; or
(3) dating violence, as that term is defined by Section 71.0021.
§ 71.005 FAM. Household
"Household" means a unit composed of persons living together in the same dwelling, without
regard to whether they are related to each other.
§ 71.006 FAM. Member of a Household
"Member of a household" includes a person who previously lived in a household.
§ 71.0021 FAM. Dating Violence
(a) "Dating violence" means an act, other than a defensive measure to protect oneself, by an
actor that:
(1) is committed against a victim or applicant for a protective order:
(A) with whom the actor has or has had a dating relationship; or
(B) because of the victim's or applicant's marriage to or dating relationship with
an individual with whom the actor is or has been in a dating relationship or
marriage; and
(2) is intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault or that
is a threat that reasonably places the victim or applicant in fear of imminent physical
harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault.
(b) For purposes of this title, "dating relationship" means a relationship between individuals who
have or have had a continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature. The existence of
such a relationship shall be determined based on consideration of:
(1) the length of the relationship;
(2) the nature of the relationship; and
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means, without permission. © Vector Solutions. All rights reserved.
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(3) the frequency and type of interaction between the persons involved in the
relationship.
(c) A casual acquaintanceship or ordinary fraternization in a business or social context does not
constitute a "dating relationship" under Subsection (b).
Texas Statutes
GOVERNMENT CODE
TITLE 5. OPEN GOVERNMENT; ETHICS
SUBTITLE B. ETHICS
CHAPTER 573. DEGREES OF RELATIONSHIP; NEPOTISM PROHIBITIONS
SUBCHAPTER B. RELATIONSHIPS BY CONSANGUINITY OR BY AFFINITY
§ 573.022 GOV'T. Determination of Consanguinity
(a) Two individuals are related to each other by consanguinity if:
(1) one is a descendant of the other; or
(2) they share a common ancestor.
(b) An adopted child is considered to be a child of the adoptive parent for this purpose.
§ 573.024 GOV'T. Determination of Affinity
(a) Two individuals are related to each other by affinity if:
(1) they are married to each other; or
(2) the spouse of one of the individuals is related by consanguinity to the other
individual.
(b) The ending of a marriage by divorce or the death of a spouse ends relationships by affinity
created by that marriage unless a child of that marriage is living, in which case the marriage is
considered to continue as long as a child of that marriage lives.
(c) Subsection (b) applies to a member of the board of trustees of or an officer of a school
district only until the youngest child of the marriage reaches the age of 21 years.
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means, without permission. © Vector Solutions. All rights reserved.
