By: Harris S.B. No. 243 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to a child's property damage to a hotel. 1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-3 SECTION 1. Title 73, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding 1-4 Article 4596e to read as follows: 1-5 Art. 4596e. LIABILITY FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE CAUSED BY CHILDREN 1-6 Sec. 1. In this article: 1-7 (1) "Innkeeper" means an owner, operator, or manager 1-8 of a hotel as defined by Section 156.001, Tax Code. 1-9 (2) "Child" means a person who is under 18 years of 1-10 age. 1-11 Sec. 2. An innkeeper may request a parent or other person 1-12 who has the duty of control and reasonable discipline of a child to 1-13 sign a form assuming liability for any property damage proximately 1-14 caused by the negligent conduct or the wilful and malicious conduct 1-15 of the child. 1-16 Sec. 3. A parent or other person who signs the form 1-17 described in Section 2 of this article is liable for any property 1-18 damage proximately caused by the negligent conduct or the wilful 1-19 and malicious conduct of the child. 1-20 Sec. 4. A parent or other person is not required to sign the 1-21 form described in Section 2 of this article. 1-22 Sec. 5. An innkeeper may deny service to the parent or other 1-23 person who does not sign the form described in Section 2 of this 2-1 article and to the child, except that in no event shall the denial 2-2 be based on the race, creed, color, national origin, sex, or 2-3 disability of a person. 2-4 Sec. 6. Chapter 41, Family Code, applies to inns and hotels. 2-5 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-6 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-7 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-8 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-9 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-10 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.