By Munoz H.B. No. 223
74R1543 MLR-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to missing children.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Sections 79.001(1), (2), and (4), Human Resources
1-5 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-6 (1) "Child" means a person under 18 <17> years of age.
1-7 (2) "Missing person" means a person 18 <17> years old
1-8 or older whose disappearance is possibly not voluntary.
1-9 (4) "Missing child" or "missing person" also includes
1-10 a person of any age who is missing and:
1-11 (A) is under proven physical or mental
1-12 disability or is senile, and because of one or more of these
1-13 conditions is subject to immediate danger or is a danger to others;
1-14 (B) is in the company of another person or is in
1-15 a situation the <under> circumstances of which indicate
1-16 <indicating> that the missing child's or missing person's safety is
1-17 in doubt; or
1-18 (C) is unemancipated as defined by the law of
1-19 this state.
1-20 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-21 only to an individual for whom a missing child or missing person
1-22 report, as that term is used by Chapter 79, Human Resources Code,
1-23 is made on or after the effective date of this Act.
1-24 (b) An individual for whom a missing child or missing person
2-1 report is made before the effective date of this Act is covered by
2-2 the law in effect when the report was made, and the former law is
2-3 continued in effect for that purpose.
2-4 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
2-5 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.