AN ACT

 1-1     relating to liability of a parent for property damage to a hotel

 1-2     caused by a child.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 41, Family Code, is amended by adding

 1-5     Section 41.0025 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 41.0025.  LIABILITY FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE TO AN INN OR

 1-7     HOTEL.  (a)  Notwithstanding Section 41.002, recovery of damages by

 1-8     an inn or hotel for wilful and malicious conduct is limited to

 1-9     actual damages, not to exceed $25,000 per occurrence, plus court

1-10     costs and reasonable attorney's fees.

1-11           (b)  In this section "occurrence" means one incident on a

1-12     single day in one hotel room.  The term does not include incidents

1-13     in separate rooms or incidents that occur on different days.

1-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-15     applies only to property damage that occurs on or after that date.

1-16     Damage that occurs before the effective date of this Act is

1-17     governed by the law in effect on the date the damage occurred, and

1-18     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

1-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

                                                                S.B. No. 243

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 243 passed the Senate on

         February 26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0; and

         that the Senate concurred in House amendment on April 23, 1997, by

         a viva-voce vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 243 passed the House, with

         amendment, on April 18, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor