By Ratliff                                       S.B. No. 298

      75R2438 JMC-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to juvenile court detention orders.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 54.01(h), Family Code, is amended to read

 1-5     as follows:

 1-6           (h)  A detention order extends to the conclusion of the

 1-7     disposition hearing, if there is one, but in no event for more than

 1-8     10 working days.  Further detention orders may be made following

 1-9     subsequent detention hearings.  The initial detention hearing may

1-10     not be waived but subsequent detention hearings may be waived in

1-11     accordance with the requirements of Section 51.09 [of this code].

1-12     Each subsequent detention order shall extend for no more than 20

1-13     [10] working days.

1-14           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies

1-15     only to a child who is taken into custody for conduct that occurs

1-16     on or after the effective date of this Act.  Conduct violating a

1-17     penal law of this state occurs on or after the effective date of

1-18     this Act if every element of the violation occurs on or after that

1-19     date.

1-20           (b)  Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this

1-21     Act is covered by the law in effect at the time the conduct

1-22     occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that

1-23     purpose.

1-24           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-1           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

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

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.