By:  Johnson                                          H.B. No. 2336
       73R782 JMM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the definition of "child" for purposes of the law
    1-3  governing delinquent children and children in need of supervision.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 51.02(1), Family Code, is amended to read
    1-6  as follows:
    1-7              (1)  "Child" means a person who is:
    1-8                    (A)  seven <ten> years of age or older and under
    1-9  17 years of age; or
   1-10                    (B)  seventeen years of age or older and under 18
   1-11  years of age who is alleged or found to have engaged in delinquent
   1-12  conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision as a result of
   1-13  acts committed before becoming 17 years of age.
   1-14        SECTION 2.  Section 34.54(b), Family Code, is amended to read
   1-15  as follows:
   1-16        (b)  The department shall provide, directly or by contract,
   1-17  services for a child and the child's family if the child is
   1-18  referred to the department by a law enforcement agency under
   1-19  Section 52.03 of this code for engaging in conduct described by
   1-20  Section 51.03 of this code.  The services may include in-home
   1-21  programs, parenting skills training, youth coping skills, and
   1-22  individual and family counseling.
   1-23        SECTION 3.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
   1-24  only to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this
    2-1  Act.  Conduct violating a penal law of the state occurs on or after
    2-2  the effective date of this Act if every element of the violation
    2-3  occurs on or after that date.
    2-4        (b)  Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this
    2-5  Act is covered by the law in effect at the time the conduct
    2-6  occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
    2-7  purpose.
    2-8        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    2-9        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-10  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-11  emergency   and   an   imperative   public   necessity   that   the
   2-12  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-13  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.