1-1 By: Staples (Senate Sponsor - Madla) H.B. No. 2215
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 1997;
1-3 April 29, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Jurisprudence; May 17, 1997, reported favorably, as amended, by the
1-5 following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 17, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Harris
1-7 Amend H.B. No. 2215 as follows:
1-8 (1) In Section 1 of the bill, in Section 153.010, Family
1-9 Code, between "COUNSELING." and "If" (page 1, line 29, House
1-10 engrossed version), insert "(a)".
1-11 (2) In Section 1 of the bill, in Section 153.010, Family
1-12 Code, between "violence" and "[person]" (page 1, line 38, House
1-13 engrossed version), insert "if the court determines that the
1-14 training is relevant to the type of counseling needed".
1-15 (3) In Section 1 of the bill, at the end of Section 153.010,
1-16 Family Code (page 1, between lines 40 and 41, House engrossed
1-17 version), insert the following:
1-18 (b) If a person possessing the requirements of Subsection
1-19 (a)(1) is not available in the county in which the court presides,
1-20 the court may appoint a person the court believes is qualified to
1-21 conduct the counseling ordered under Subsection (a).
1-22 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-23 AN ACT
1-24 relating to court-ordered family counseling for conflicts regarding
1-25 issues of conservatorship or possession of or access to a child.
1-26 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-27 SECTION 1. Section 153.010, Family Code, is amended to read
1-28 as follows:
1-29 Sec. 153.010. ORDER FOR FAMILY COUNSELING. If the court
1-30 finds at the time of a hearing that the parties have a history of
1-31 conflict in resolving an issue of conservatorship or possession of
1-32 or access to the child, the court may order a party to:
1-33 (1) participate in counseling with a mental health
1-34 professional who:
1-35 (A) has a background in family therapy;
1-36 (B) has a mental health license that requires as
1-37 a minimum a master's degree; and
1-38 (C) has training in domestic violence [person
1-39 appointed by the court]; and
1-40 (2) pay the cost of counseling.
1-41 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
1-42 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-43 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-44 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-45 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-46 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-47 * * * * *