By:  Brady                                            H.B. No. 2544
       73R6770 DAK-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the responsibility of parents for the conduct of their
    1-3  children.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENT FOR CONDUCT OF CHILD.
    1-6  (a)  A parent is not liable, under either civil or criminal law,
    1-7  for the conduct of the parent's child if the child voluntarily
    1-8  leaves the parent's home against the express desire of the parent
    1-9  and the child expresses an intent not to return or has been absent
   1-10  without the parent's consent for more than 24 hours.
   1-11        (b)  A parent is not liable, under either civil or criminal
   1-12  law, for the truancy of the parent's child.
   1-13        (c)  A juvenile court may not order a parent to act or
   1-14  refrain from doing an act because of the act or omission of the
   1-15  parent's child without a finding of culpable behavior on the part
   1-16  of the parent.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
   1-18  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-22  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-23  passage, and it is so enacted.