By Goolsby                                      H.B. No. 1156

      75R4838 DLF-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to parental consent to body piercing; imposing a criminal

 1-3     penalty.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 161, Health and Safety Code, is amended

 1-6     by adding Subchapter G to read as follows:

 1-7                        SUBCHAPTER G.  BODY PIERCING

 1-8           Sec. 161.071.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:

 1-9                 (1)  "Body piercing" means the creation of an opening

1-10     in an individual's body to insert jewelry or another decoration.

1-11                 (2)  "Minor" means a person younger than 18 years of

1-12     age who has not had the disabilities of minority removed for

1-13     general purposes.

1-14           Sec. 161.072.  PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIRED.  (a)  A person may

1-15     not perform body piercing on a minor without the written and

1-16     notarized consent of a parent, managing conservator, or guardian of

1-17     the minor.

1-18           (b)  The written consent must indicate the part of the

1-19     minor's body that may be pierced.

1-20           Sec. 161.073.  CRIMINAL PENALTY; EXCEPTION.  (a)  A person

1-21     commits an offense if the person violates Section 161.072.  An

1-22     offense under this subsection is a Class C misdemeanor.

1-23           (b)  It is an exception to the application of this section

1-24     that the part of the minor's body that is pierced is the minor's

 2-1     ear.

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

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

 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.