H.B. No. 722
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to authority of a law enforcement officer in Hidalgo
    1-3  County to refer a child to the Hidalgo County court conference
    1-4  committee.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 152, Human Resources Code,
    1-7  is amended by adding Section 152.1142 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 152.1142.  HIDALGO COUNTY COURT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
    1-9  (a)  A law enforcement officer in Hidalgo County may refer to the
   1-10  court conference committee a child who:
   1-11              (1)  has been charged with a Class C misdemeanor (first
   1-12  offense only);
   1-13              (2)  is a status offender; or
   1-14              (3)  is a truant or runaway.
   1-15        (b)  This section does not affect:
   1-16              (1)  the authority of a law enforcement officer under
   1-17  Title 3, Family Code; or
   1-18              (2)  the duty of a law enforcement officer to report a
   1-19  case to a state or local child protective services agency.
   1-20        (c)  In this section:
   1-21              (1)  "Child" has the meaning assigned by Section 51.02,
   1-22  Family Code.
   1-23              (2)  "Court conference committee" means the county
   1-24  juvenile probation program's court conference committee.
    2-1        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-2  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-3  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-4  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-5  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-6  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-7  passage, and it is so enacted.