By Romo                                               H.B. No. 1323
       74R5853 PB-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the employment of children; providing a criminal
    1-3  penalty.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 51.014, Labor Code, is amended by adding
    1-6  Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
    1-7        (d)  In addition to any occupation determined to be hazardous
    1-8  under Subsection (a), the employment of a child to sell items or
    1-9  services for or solicit donations for any person other than an
   1-10  exempt organization during the period beginning one-half hour after
   1-11  sunset and ending one-half hour before sunrise is a hazardous
   1-12  occupation for purposes of this chapter if the child is:
   1-13              (1)  younger than 14 years of age; and
   1-14              (2)  unaccompanied by a parent, conservator, guardian,
   1-15  or other person who has possession of the child under a court
   1-16  order.
   1-17        (e)  For purposes of this section, "exempt organization"
   1-18  means:
   1-19              (1)  a charitable organization, as that term is defined
   1-20  under Section 84.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code; or
   1-21              (2)  an organization regulated under Title 15, Election
   1-22  Code.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  Section 51.031, Labor Code, is amended to read as
   1-24  follows:
    2-1        Sec. 51.031.  OFFENSE; PENALTY.  An offense under this
    2-2  chapter is a Class A <C> misdemeanor.
    2-3        SECTION 3.  (a)  The change in law made by Section 2 of this
    2-4  Act applies only to the punishment for an offense committed on or
    2-5  after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes of this
    2-6  section, an offense is committed before the effective date of this
    2-7  Act if any element of the offense occurs before the effective date.
    2-8        (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
    2-9  Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
   2-10  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
   2-11        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-12        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-13  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-14  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-15  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-16  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.