1-1 By: Munoz (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 223
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 5, 1995;
1-3 April 6, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
1-4 and Human Services; May 3, 1995, reported favorably by the
1-5 following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 3, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to missing children.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Sections 79.001(1), (2), and (4), Human Resources
1-11 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-12 (1) "Child" means a person under 18 <17> years of age.
1-13 (2) "Missing person" means a person 18 <17> years old
1-14 or older whose disappearance is possibly not voluntary.
1-15 (4) "Missing child" or "missing person" also includes
1-16 a person of any age who is missing and:
1-17 (A) is under proven physical or mental
1-18 disability or is senile, and because of one or more of these
1-19 conditions is subject to immediate danger or is a danger to others;
1-20 (B) is in the company of another person or is in
1-21 a situation the <under> circumstances of which indicate
1-22 <indicating> that the missing child's or missing person's safety is
1-23 in doubt; or
1-24 (C) is unemancipated as defined by the law of
1-25 this state.
1-26 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-27 only to an individual for whom a missing child or missing person
1-28 report, as that term is used by Chapter 79, Human Resources Code,
1-29 is made on or after the effective date of this Act.
1-30 (b) An individual for whom a missing child or missing person
1-31 report is made before the effective date of this Act is covered by
1-32 the law in effect when the report was made, and the former law is
1-33 continued in effect for that purpose.
1-34 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
1-35 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-36 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-37 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-38 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-39 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-40 * * * * *