Art. 7B.103 ENFORCEMENT

If you get a protective order under this specific set of rules, it works almost the same way as a regular family violence protective order under Texas Family Code. The same basic rules apply for things like what the order must say, how long it lasts, what warnings it must include, how it gets delivered, what police must do to enforce it, and how it can be changed later.

There are three key differences, though. First, the warning printed on the order has to mention that future violations connected to bias or prejudice can lead to criminal charges. Second, a constable, not just any law enforcement officer, must be the one to formally serve the order on the person it's issued against. Third, the court clerk has to send a copy of the order to the Texas Department of Public Safety and mark it as a bias or prejudice related order, so the state knows why it was issued.

In short, this rule makes sure protective orders tied to hate crimes get tracked separately and enforced with extra attention, while still following the same basic process as other protective orders in Texas.