By Nixon                                        H.B. No. 2558

      75R8050 DAK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the appeal of juvenile cases.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 56.01(a), Family Code, is amended to read

 1-5     as follows:

 1-6           (a)  An appeal from an order of a juvenile court is to a

 1-7     court of appeals and the case may be carried to the [Texas Supreme]

 1-8     Court of Criminal Appeals [by writ of error or upon  certificate,]

 1-9     as in criminal [civil] cases generally.

1-10           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-11           (b)  This Act applies only to the appeal of an order relating

1-12     to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act.

1-13     Conduct violating the penal law of this state occurs on or after

1-14     the effective date of this Act if any element of the violation

1-15     occurs on or after that date.

1-16           (c)  An appeal of an order relating to conduct that occurs

1-17     before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in

1-18     effect at the time the conduct occurred, and that law is continued

1-19     in effect for that purpose.

1-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.