Senate committee advances 'Audrey's Law' to require predator registration for child-grooming convictions

Senator Nichols said House Bill 2000 responds to the 2024 abduction and murder of 11-year-old Audrey Cunningham in Polk County by addressing a registration gap in the sex-offender registry.

Nichols said the suspect’s prior charge of indecency with a child had been pled down to enticing a child, and that plea meant he was not required to register as a sex offender; the bill would make a conviction for child grooming trigger registration.

Andy Khan, director of victim services for the Houston-based Stop Stalkers (testifying for Audrey’s advocates), and other witnesses told the committee the change is necessary to ensure families and communities know when someone with a history of grooming is living nearby. Khan described the family’s involvement in the bill and said the registry is a key tool parents and grandparents use to protect children.

Supporters emphasized this change would close a statutory gap created when plea deals reduce an initial indecency charge to a non‑registrable offense. The chair opened and closed invited and public testimony and left the bill pending for a committee vote; later in the hearing record the committee reported House Bill 2000 to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation.