By Allen                                               H.B. No. 349
       74R576 DD-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the minimum age at which a child is subject to juvenile
    1-3  court jurisdiction.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 34.54(b), Family Code, is amended to read
    1-6  as follows:
    1-7        (b)  The department shall provide, directly or by contract,
    1-8  services for a child and the child's family if the child is
    1-9  referred to the department by a law enforcement agency for engaging
   1-10  in conduct described by Section 51.03 of this code.  The services
   1-11  may include in-home programs, parenting skills training, youth
   1-12  coping skills, and individual and family counseling.  A child who
   1-13  is referred to the department by a law enforcement agency must be
   1-14  referred under Section 52.03 if the child is eight years of age or
   1-15  older and under 10 years of age.
   1-16        SECTION 2.  Section 51.02(1), Family Code, is amended to read
   1-17  as follows:
   1-18              (1)  "Child" means a person who is:
   1-19                    (A)  eight <ten> years of age or older and under
   1-20  17 years of age; or
   1-21                    (B)  seventeen years of age or older and under 18
   1-22  years of age who is alleged or found to have engaged in delinquent
   1-23  conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision as a result of
   1-24  acts committed before becoming 17 years of age.
    2-1        SECTION 3.  Section 61.001(6), Human Resources Code, is
    2-2  amended to read as follows:
    2-3              (6)  "Child" means a person eight <10> years old or
    2-4  older and under 21 years old who is committed to the commission
    2-5  under Title 3, Family Code.
    2-6        SECTION 4.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
    2-7  only to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this
    2-8  Act.  Conduct violating a penal law of the state occurs on or after
    2-9  the effective date of this Act if every element of the violation
   2-10  occurs on or after that date.
   2-11        (b)  Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this
   2-12  Act is covered by the law in effect at the time the conduct
   2-13  occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
   2-14  purpose.
   2-15        SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-16        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.