1-1 By: Tillery, McClendon, et al. H.B. No. 115 1-2 (Senate Sponsor - Shapiro) 1-3 (In the Senate - Received from the House March 17, 1997; 1-4 May 18, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal 1-5 Justice; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-6 Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to the failure of certain persons to attend a court 1-10 hearing involving a child; providing a criminal penalty. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Section 54.022, Family Code, is amended by 1-13 amending Subsections (e) and (g) and adding Subsection (h) to read 1-14 as follows: 1-15 (e) A justice or municipal court shall endorse on the 1-16 summons issued to a parent, managing conservator, or a guardian an 1-17 order to appear personally at the hearing with the child. The 1-18 summons must include a warning that the failure of the parent, 1-19 managing conservator, or guardian to appear may be punishable as a 1-20 Class C misdemeanor. 1-21 (g) A person commits an offense if the person is a parent, 1-22 managing conservator, or guardian who fails to attend a hearing 1-23 under this section after receiving an order under Subsection (e). 1-24 An offense under this subsection is a Class C misdemeanor. 1-25 (h) Any other order under this section is enforceable by the 1-26 justice or municipal court by contempt. 1-27 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only 1-28 to a court order issued on or after the effective date of this Act. 1-29 An order issued before the effective date of this Act is covered by 1-30 the law in effect when the order was issued, and the former law is 1-31 continued in effect for that purpose. 1-32 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-33 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-34 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-35 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-36 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-37 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-38 * * * * *