By Goodman, Naishtat, McClendon, Chisum                H.B. No. 308

         75R12104 SKB-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the authority to issue protective orders.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 71.002, Family Code, as added by H.B.

 1-5     1441 or S.B. 797, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session,

 1-6     1997, is amended to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 71.002.  COURT.  "Court" means the district court, court

 1-8     of domestic relations, juvenile court having the jurisdiction of a

 1-9     district court, statutory county court, constitutional county

1-10     court, or other court expressly given jurisdiction under this

1-11     title.

1-12           SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this

1-13     section, this Act takes effect on September 1, 1997, and applies

1-14     only to an application for a protective order made on or after that

1-15     date.

1-16           (b)  This Act takes effect only if the 75th Legislature, at

1-17     its regular session, enacts H.B. 1441 or S.B. 797 and either bill

1-18     becomes law.  If the legislation does not become law, this Act has

1-19     no effect.

1-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.