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House Bill 1228 |
House Author: Dukes et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-13 |
Senate Sponsor: Davis et al. |
House Bill 1228 amends the Family Code to require a court to consider evidence of sexual abuse in certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship that involve conservatorship, possession, and access. The bill modifies a court's authority to terminate parental rights upon finding that a parent was convicted of an offense of continuous sexual abuse of a young child, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, or prohibited sexual conduct and that a child was conceived as a direct result of the parent's commission of the offense by making the court's authority conditional upon the parent being married to or cohabiting with the other parent for the two years after the child's birth. The bill adds a requirement for a court to terminate parental rights if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that a parent has engaged in conduct constituting a sexual offense described above, a child was conceived as a direct result of the conduct, and termination is in the best interest of the child. The bill authorizes a court to order a financially able person whose parental rights have been terminated with respect to a child conceived as a direct result of the conduct to pay child support.