The MARIAH Act – Framework

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 

AN ACT 

relating to establishing the MARIAH Act (Mandating Accountability & Responsibility In Allegations of Harm) to provide accountability for knowingly false or malicious allegations of serious offenses, promote transparency within criminal justice systems, ensure due process protections, and strengthen institutional integrity within the State of Texas. 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the “MARIAH Act” or the “Mandating Accountability & Responsibility In Allegations of Harm Act.” 

SECTION 2. PURPOSE. 

The purpose of this Act is to: 

1. Protect innocent individuals from the devastating consequences of false or malicious allegations of serious crimes or misconduct; 

2. Uphold the integrity and credibility of the justice system; 

3. Ensure accountability and transparency within institutions responding to allegations of harm; 

4. Promote balanced due process protections for both reporting parties and accused individuals;  

5. Strengthen public trust between the people of Texas and the institutions charged with administering justice. 

SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS. 

(a) False Allegation means a statement or accusation regarding a Covered Offense that a person knowingly makes false, or makes with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity, with the specific intent to cause harm or with knowledge that the statement is likely to cause criminal, civil, professional, reputational, or economic harm to the accused. 

(b) Reckless Disregard means making a statement with conscious indifference to the truth, including deliberate avoidance of facts that would confirm falsity. 

(c) Covered Offenses include knowingly false allegations of: 

1. Domestic violence or intimate partner violence; 

2. Rape or sexual assault; 

3. Child abuse or elder abuse; 

4. Child sexual exploitation or molestation; 

5. Drug use, possession, or trafficking where the allegation foreseeably risks arrest, prosecution, or family separation; and 

6. Any felony-level violent offense under Texas law. 

SECTION 4. OFFENSES AND PENALTIES. 

(a) Creation of Offense. 
A person commits an offense if they knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth make a false allegation of a Covered Offense to: 

1. A peace officer or law enforcement agency; 

2. A court or magistrate; 

3. A governmental agency responsible for child welfare or protective services; 

4. An employer, educational institution, or professional licensing authority where the allegation is reasonably likely to initiate official action; or 

5. The public, including digital or social media platforms, where the allegation is made with actual malice and results in reasonably foreseeable initiation of official proceedings or substantial economic or reputational harm. 

(b) Penalty Classification. 
An offense under this section shall be classified as a felony of the third degree, except that: 

1. If the false allegation directly contributes to suicide, attempted suicide with permanent harm, or wrongful imprisonment, the offense is a felony of the second degree; 

2. If the false allegation results in death or permanent disability of the accused, it is a felony of the first degree; 

3. Minor offenses causing no tangible harm shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor punishable under Section 12.21, Penal Code. 

SECTION 5. LAW ENFORCEMENT RECORD INTEGRATION THROUGH TCIC. 

(a) The Department of Public Safety shall utilize and, where necessary, enhance the Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC) system to record and flag domestic violence–related police reports, protective order applications, and related filings made by an individual within this state. 

(b) Information entered into TCIC under this section shall: 

1. Identify the existence and disposition status of prior domestic violence–related reports or protective order filings; 

2. Be accessible to authorized peace officers, prosecutors, magistrates, and judicial officers during investigations, charging determinations, bail hearings, and pretrial proceedings; 

3. Clearly distinguish between: 

(A) pending allegations, 

(B) substantiated findings, 

(C) dismissed or unsubstantiated claims, and 

(D) judicial determinations of knowingly false or malicious reports; and 

4. Include notation fields sufficient to prevent misinterpretation of unproven allegations as confirmed misconduct. 

(c) Public access to TCIC data shall remain restricted in accordance with existing state law; however, the Department may publish anonymized statistical summaries reflecting aggregate reporting patterns, provided that no personally identifying information of a victim or reporting party is disclosed. 

(d) The Department shall ensure compliance with confidentiality and privacy protections under Chapter 411, Government Code; Chapter 261, Family Code; and all applicable state and federal law governing criminal justice information systems. 

(e) The Department shall conduct or commission an annual audit to ensure that entries made pursuant to this section are accurate, complete, and not misleading, and shall provide a summary report to the Legislature. 

SECTION 6. DUE PROCESS & DATA SAFEGUARDS. 

(a) No Presumption Clause. 
Information entered into the Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC) pursuant to this Act shall not create any legal presumption of guilt, pattern of abuse, or malicious conduct. Such data shall be considered informational only unless and until adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction. 

(b) Judicial Determination Requirement. 
No allegation may be designated as “knowingly false” or “malicious” within TCIC absent a written judicial finding following notice and opportunity to be heard. 

(c) Right to Review and Correction. 
Any individual whose information is entered under this Act shall have the right to request review and correction of inaccurate or incomplete data through an administrative process established by the Department of Public Safety. 

(d) Prohibition on Employment Misuse. 
TCIC entries made under this Act shall not be accessible to private employers, landlords, or licensing boards except where otherwise permitted under existing criminal justice information statutes. 

(e) Sealing Upon Exoneration. 
If an allegation results in dismissal, no-bill, acquittal, or judicial finding of unfounded status, TCIC shall clearly reflect such disposition. 

SECTION 7. OVERSIGHT AND TRAINING. 

(a) Law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and child welfare agencies shall receive training on distinguishing between credible and malicious reports while maintaining trauma-informed investigative practices. 
(b) A joint interim legislative oversight committee is established to monitor implementation of this Act. 

(c) The committee shall issue annual reports with policy and budgetary recommendations. 

SECTION 8. FISCAL NOTE AND IMPLEMENTATION. 

(a) The Department of Public Safety shall implement this Act in phased deployment, beginning with pilot programs in five counties and expanding statewide within 18 months. 

(b) The Legislature finds that use of existing TCIC infrastructure minimizes new system development costs. 

(c) This Act is subject to review under Chapter 325, Government Code, six years after implementation. 

SECTION 9. SEVERABILITY. 

If any provision of this Act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and the provisions of this Act are declared severable. 

SECTION 10. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

This Act takes effect September 1, 2027. 

✅ Filed for consideration before the 90th Texas Legislature, Regular Session. 
Sponsor: ___________________________ 
Co-author(s): ________________________