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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the documentation of child abuse; creating a criminal |
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offense. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 261, Family Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 261.112 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 261.112. DOCUMENTING ABUSE; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A |
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person commits an offense if the person, during a supervised visit |
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with a child: |
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(1) prohibits another person from documenting, |
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including photographing, suspected abuse of the child; or |
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(2) interferes with another person who is documenting, |
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including photographing, suspected abuse of the child. |
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(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. |
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(c) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this |
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section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor |
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may be prosecuted under this section or the other law. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and that law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. For the purposes of this |
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section, an offense is committed before the effective date of this |
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Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |