By Tillery H.B. No. 115
75R1539 JMC-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the failure of certain persons to attend a court
1-3 hearing involving a child; providing a criminal penalty.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 54.022, Family Code, is amended by
1-6 amending Subsection (g) and adding Subsection (h) to read as
1-7 follows:
1-8 (g) A person commits an offense if the person is a parent,
1-9 managing conservator, or guardian who fails to attend a hearing
1-10 under this section after receiving an order under Subsection (e).
1-11 An offense under this subsection is a Class C misdemeanor.
1-12 (h) Any [other] order under this section other than an order
1-13 involving a child or an order under Subsection (e) is enforceable
1-14 by the justice or municipal court by contempt.
1-15 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
1-16 to a court order issued on or after the effective date of this Act.
1-17 An order issued before the effective date of this Act is covered by
1-18 the law in effect when the order was issued, and the former law is
1-19 continued in effect for that purpose.
1-20 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
1-21 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.