Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 1988	House Author:  Martinez, "Mando"
Effective:  9-1-07	Senate Sponsor:  Hinojosa

            House Bill 1988 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to authorize a parent or guardian acting on behalf of a person younger than 17 years of age who is the victim of sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, or indecency with a child to file an application for a protective order.  The bill provides that a protective order based on one of these offenses may be effective for the duration of the lives of the offender and victim under certain circumstances, for any shorter period stated in the order, or for two years if no period is stated.  The bill authorizes a victim who is 17 years of age or older or the parent or guardian of a victim younger than 17 years of age to request that a court rescind a protective order.  It also provides that if a person who is the subject of a protective order is confined when the protective order is due to expire, the order will instead expire one year after the person is released from confinement.