By McReynolds                                   H.B. No. 2227

      75R7564 SKB-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to additional periods of possession or access to a child.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 157.168, Family Code, is amended to read

 1-5     as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 157.168.  ADDITIONAL PERIODS OF POSSESSION OR ACCESS.

 1-7     (a)  A court shall [may] order additional periods of possession of

 1-8     or  access to a child to compensate for the denial of court-ordered

 1-9     possession or access.  The additional periods of possession or

1-10     access:

1-11                 (1)  must be of the same type and duration of the

1-12     possession or access that was denied;

1-13                 (2)  may include weekend, holiday, and summer

1-14     possession or access; and

1-15                 (3)  must occur on or before the first anniversary of

1-16     the date the court finds that court-ordered possession or access

1-17     has been denied.

1-18           (b)  The person denied possession or access is entitled to

1-19     decide the time of the additional possession or access.

1-20           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-21     applies only to an order for additional periods of possession of or

1-22     access to a child made on or after that date.

1-23           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

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

 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.