By Madden                                             H.B. No. 1279
       74R5755 MJW-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to education of parties to a suit affecting the
    1-3  parent-child relationship regarding the effect of divorce on
    1-4  children.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 11, Family Code, is amended
    1-7  by adding Section 11.121 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 11.121.  EDUCATION REGARDING EFFECT OF DIVORCE ON
    1-9  CHILDREN.  (a)  In a suit affecting the parent-child relationship,
   1-10  the court may order any party to the suit to attend a four-hour
   1-11  course regarding the effect of divorce on children.
   1-12        (b)  Only a person or group approved by the court may conduct
   1-13  a course under this section.  An individual conducting the course
   1-14  must have a background in parent education or family therapy.
   1-15        (c)  A course conducted under this section must include
   1-16  information regarding:
   1-17              (1)  the developmental stages of children, including
   1-18  the needs and expectations of children at different ages;
   1-19              (2)  indicators of stress in children;
   1-20              (3)  reduction of stress for a child whose parents are
   1-21  divorcing;
   1-22              (4)  the grief process;
   1-23              (5)  changing parental and marital roles in our
   1-24  society;
    2-1              (6)  visitation recommendations for enhancing a child's
    2-2  relationship with both parents;
    2-3              (7)  financial obligations of raising a child; and
    2-4              (8)  conflict management and dispute resolution.
    2-5        (d)  On a party's failure to attend or complete a course that
    2-6  the party is ordered to attend under this section, the court may
    2-7  take appropriate action, including holding that party in contempt
    2-8  of court, striking pleadings, or invoking any of the sanctions
    2-9  provided by Rule 215, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.
   2-10        (e)  A court ordering a party to attend a course under this
   2-11  section may order the party to pay a reasonable fee set by the
   2-12  court for the course.
   2-13        SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to a
   2-14  suit affecting the parent-child relationship regardless of whether
   2-15  the suit is filed before, on, or after the effective date of this
   2-16  Act.
   2-17        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-18        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.