By Allen                                         H.B. No. 651

      75R3408 JMM-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the involuntary termination of the parent-child

 1-3     relationship based on certain criminal conduct by a parent.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 161, Family Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Sections 161.007 and 161.008 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 161.007.  TERMINATION WHEN PREGNANCY RESULTS FROM

 1-8     CRIMINAL ACT.  The court shall order the termination of the

 1-9     parent-child relationship of a parent and a child if the court

1-10     finds that:

1-11                 (1)  the parent has been convicted of an offense

1-12     committed under Section 22.011, 22.021, or 25.02, Penal Code; and

1-13                 (2)  as a direct result of the commission of the

1-14     offense by the parent, the victim of the offense became pregnant

1-15     with the parent's child.

1-16           Sec. 161.008.  TERMINATION WHEN CHILD IS VICTIM OF CERTAIN

1-17     OFFENSES.   The court shall order the termination of the

1-18     parent-child relationship of a parent and a child if the court

1-19     finds that:

1-20                 (1)  the parent has been convicted of an offense

1-21     committed under Section 21.11, 22.011, 22.021, or 25.02, Penal

1-22     Code; and

1-23                 (2)  the child was the victim of the offense.

1-24           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 2-1     applies only to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship

 2-2     filed on or after that date.  A suit affecting the parent-child

 2-3     relationship filed before that date is governed by the law in

 2-4     effect on the date the suit was filed, and the former law is

 2-5     continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.