1-1     By:  Goodman, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth)      H.B. No. 308

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 1997;

 1-3     May 13, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Jurisprudence; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the authority to issue protective orders.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Section 71.002, Family Code, as added by H.B.

1-11     1441 or S.B. 797, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session,

1-12     1997, is amended to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 71.002.  COURT.  "Court" means the district court, court

1-14     of domestic relations, juvenile court having the jurisdiction of a

1-15     district court, statutory county court, constitutional county

1-16     court, or other court expressly given jurisdiction under this

1-17     title.

1-18           SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this

1-19     section, this Act takes effect on September 1, 1997, and applies

1-20     only to an application for a protective order made on or after that

1-21     date.

1-22           (b)  This Act takes effect only if the 75th Legislature, at

1-23     its regular session, enacts H.B. 1441 or S.B. 797 and either bill

1-24     becomes law.  If the legislation does not become law, this Act has

1-25     no effect.

1-26           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-28     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-29     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-30     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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