By Turner of Harris H.B. No. 2102
75R6776 JMC-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the closing of juvenile court hearings to the public.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 54.08, Family Code, is amended to read as
1-5 follows:
1-6 Sec. 54.08. CLOSED [PUBLIC ACCESS TO] COURT HEARINGS. (a)
1-7 Except as provided by this section [Subsection (b)], the court
1-8 shall close [open] hearings under this title to the public [unless
1-9 the court, for good cause shown, determines that the public should
1-10 be excluded].
1-11 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the [The] court
1-12 may not prohibit a person who is a victim of the conduct of a
1-13 child, or the person's family, from personally attending a hearing
1-14 under this title relating to the conduct by the child.
1-15 (c) The court may prohibit a person who is a victim of the
1-16 conduct of a child from attending a hearing relating to the conduct
1-17 if [unless] the victim is to testify in the hearing or any
1-18 subsequent hearing relating to the conduct and the court determines
1-19 that the victim's testimony would be materially affected if the
1-20 victim hears other testimony at trial.
1-21 (d) In this section, "family" has the meaning assigned by
1-22 Section 71.01(b).
1-23 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
1-24 to a hearing under Title 3, Family Code, commenced on or after the
2-1 effective date of this Act. A hearing commenced before the
2-2 effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
2-3 date the hearing was commenced, and the former law is continued in
2-4 effect for that purpose.
2-5 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-10 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-11 passage, and it is so enacted.