By:  Combs                                            H.B. No. 2233
       73R6342 DAK-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the admission and consideration of evidence at a
    1-3  juvenile court adjudication hearing.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 54.03(d), Family Code, is amended to read
    1-6  as follows:
    1-7        (d)  Except as provided by Section 54.031 of this chapter,
    1-8  only material, relevant, and competent evidence in accordance with
    1-9  the requirements for the trial of criminal <civil> cases may be
   1-10  considered in the adjudication hearing.  Except in a detention or
   1-11  discretionary transfer hearing, a social history report or social
   1-12  service file shall not be viewed by the court or jury before the
   1-13  adjudication decision <and shall not be viewed by the jury at any
   1-14  time>.
   1-15        SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
   1-16  applies only to an adjudication hearing for conduct that occurs on
   1-17  or after that date.  For purposes of this section, conduct
   1-18  violating the penal law of this state occurs on or after that date
   1-19  if every element of the violation occurs on or after that date.
   1-20        (b)  An adjudication hearing for conduct that occurs before
   1-21  the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at
   1-22  the time the conduct occurred, and that law is continued in effect
   1-23  for that purpose.
   1-24        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.