Relating to enhancement of the penalty for a felony conviction based on a juvenile delinquent conduct adjudication.

HB 4628 would allow prosecutors to use a person's juvenile delinquency adjudication (a court finding of misconduct as a minor) to increase penalties for a later felony conviction. Currently, Texas law prohibits using such juvenile records for penalty enhancement, but this bill repeals that restriction. It also amends the Family Code to permit prosecutors to access sealed juvenile records specifically for seeking enhanced felony penalties under the Penal Code. The law would take effect on September 1, 2025, applying only to offenses committed after that date.