CJ S.B. 1384 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS JUVENILE JUSTICE & FAMILY ISSUES S.B. 1384 By: Haywood (Hirschi) 5-23-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Children of parents undergoing the process of divorce must cope with many issues. In an attempt to help these children and their parents, a few states and counties have established a court-ordered seminar to educate parents and to minimize the pain children and parents go through during the process of divorce. This bill will provide regulations regarding counseling and education programs for certain persons in a suit for divorce or a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1384 provide regulations regarding counseling and education programs for certain persons in a suit for divorce or a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 6.505, Family Code, to require the counseling to include counseling on issues that confront children who are the subject of a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, if the court orders counseling under this section and the parties to the marriage are the parents of a child under 18 years of age born or adopted during the marriage. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1997. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.