By Romo                                               H.B. No. 1324
       74R5840 GWK-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the creation of the offense of permitting a child to
    1-3  sell items or services or solicit donations at night.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 22, Penal Code, is amended by adding
    1-6  Section 22.11 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 22.11.  PERMITTING CHILD TO SELL OR SOLICIT DONATIONS AT
    1-8  NIGHT.  (a)  A person commits an offense if the person employs,
    1-9  authorizes, induces, or permits a child younger than 14 years of
   1-10  age who is unaccompanied by a parent, conservator, guardian, or
   1-11  other person having possession of the child under a court order to
   1-12  sell items or services for or solicit donations for any individual
   1-13  or entity other than an exempt organization during the period
   1-14  beginning one-half hour after sunset and extending until one-half
   1-15  hour before sunrise.
   1-16        (b)  For purposes of this section, "exempt organization"
   1-17  means:
   1-18              (1)  a charitable organization, as that term is defined
   1-19  under Section 84.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code;  or
   1-20              (2)  an organization regulated under Title 15, Election
   1-21  Code.
   1-22        (c)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-24        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.