1-1 By: Henderson S.B. No. 577 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 15, 1995; February 16, 1995, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; 1-4 February 28, 1995, reported favorably, as amended, by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; February 28, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Henderson 1-7 Amend S.B. No. 577 as follows: 1-8 (1) In SECTION 1, Subsection (a), Article 45.331, change the 1-9 number "18" to "17". 1-10 (2) In SECTION 1, add a new Subsection (b) to Article 45.331 1-11 to read as follows: 1-12 "(b) The court shall cause one or both parents or guardians 1-13 to be summoned to appear in court and shall require one or both of 1-14 them to be present during all proceedings in the case. However, 1-15 the court may waive the requirement of the presence of parents or 1-16 guardians in any case in which, after diligent effort, the court is 1-17 unable to locate them or to compel their presence." 1-18 (3) In SECTION 1, reletter existing Subsection "(b)" of 1-19 Article 45.331 to be Subsection "(c)". 1-20 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-21 AN ACT 1-22 relating to pleas entered by a minor in justice or municipal court. 1-23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-24 SECTION 1. Chapter 45, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-25 amended by adding Article 45.331 to read as follows: 1-26 Art. 45.331. PLEA BY MINOR. (a) A plea of a defendant who 1-27 is younger than 18 years of age and who has not had the 1-28 disabilities of minority removed must be made in open court with 1-29 the defendant's parent, guardian, or managing conservator present. 1-30 (b) If the defendant resides in a county other than the 1-31 county in which the alleged offense occurred, the defendant may, 1-32 with leave of the court, enter the plea, including a plea under 1-33 Article 45.55, before a justice in the county in which the 1-34 defendant resides. 1-35 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 1-36 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-37 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-38 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-39 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-40 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-41 * * * * *