By Coleman                                            H.B. No. 2773
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to juvenile court jurisdiction over and procedures for
    1-3  children who are eight or nine years of age and to services for
    1-4  those children.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Chapter 51, Family Code, is amended by adding
    1-7  Section 51.20 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 51.20.  SERVICES FOR CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE.
    1-9  For the purpose of providing limited social services to children
   1-10  ages 8 and 9 who are referred by law enforcement officials, a local
   1-11  juvenile probation department may, to the extent resources are
   1-12  available, provide counseling and rehabilitative services to
   1-13  children ages 8 and 9 in accordance with guidelines established by
   1-14  the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission under Section 141.0415,
   1-15  Human Resources Code.
   1-16        SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 141, Human Resources Code,
   1-17  is amended by adding Section 141.0415 to read as follows:
   1-18        Sec. 141.0415.  SERVICES FOR CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE.
   1-19  The commission shall adopt rules that establish guidelines for
   1-20  local juvenile probation departments to develop services and
   1-21  programs for children under 10 years of age that adequately address
   1-22  the needs of those children.
   1-23        SECTION 3.  Subchapter C, Chapter 34, Family Code, is amended
    2-1  by adding Section 34.541 to read as follows:
    2-2        Sec. 34.541.  PROVISION OF SERVICES IN COOPERATION WITH
    2-3  JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENTS.  (a)  The Department of Protective
    2-4  and Regulatory Services shall assist local juvenile probation
    2-5  departments in providing services to children under 10 years of age
    2-6  who are under the jurisdiction of those departments.
    2-7        (b)  The Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
    2-8  shall provide the assistance in a manner designed to aid local
    2-9  juvenile probation departments to implement the guidelines
   2-10  established by the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission under
   2-11  Section 141.0415, Human Resources Code.
   2-12        SECTION 4.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
   2-13  only to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this
   2-14  Act.  Conduct violating a penal law of the state occurs on or after
   2-15  the effective date of this Act if every element of the violation
   2-16  occurs on or after that date.
   2-17        (b)  Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this
   2-18  Act is covered by the law in effect at the time the conduct
   2-19  occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
   2-20  purpose.
   2-21        SECTION 5.  This act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-22        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-23  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-24  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-25  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-1  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.