By:  Ratliff                                           S.B. No. 298

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to juvenile court detention orders.

 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-3           SECTION 1.  Subsection (h), Section 54.01, Family Code, is

 1-4     amended to read as follows:

 1-5           (h)  A detention order extends to the conclusion of the

 1-6     disposition hearing, if there is one, but in no event for more than

 1-7     10 working days.  Further detention orders may be made following

 1-8     subsequent detention hearings.  The initial detention hearing may

 1-9     not be waived but subsequent detention hearings may be waived in

1-10     accordance with the requirements of Section 51.09 [of this code].

1-11     Each subsequent detention order shall extend for no more than 10

1-12     working days, except that in a county with a population of less

1-13     than 250,000, each subsequent detention order shall extend for no

1-14     more than 20 working days.

1-15           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies

1-16     only to a child who is taken into custody for conduct that occurs

1-17     on or after the effective date of this Act.  Conduct violating a

1-18     penal law of this state occurs on or after the effective date of

1-19     this Act if every element of the violation occurs on or after that

1-20     date.

1-21           (b)  Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this

1-22     Act is covered by the law in effect at the time the conduct

1-23     occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that

 2-1     purpose.

 2-2           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-3           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.