By:  Harris                                            S.B. No. 612

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to a defense to prosecution for endangering a child.

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

 1-3           SECTION 1.  Section 22.041, Penal Code, is amended by adding

 1-4     Subsection (g) to read as follows:

 1-5           (g)  It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (c) that

 1-6     the act or omission enables the child to practice for or

 1-7     participate in an organized athletic event and that appropriate

 1-8     safety equipment and procedures are employed in the event.

 1-9           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.  The

1-10     change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed

1-11     on or after September 1, 1997.  An offense committed before

1-12     September 1, 1997, is covered by the law in effect when the offense

1-13     was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that

1-14     purpose.  For purposes of this section, an offense was committed

1-15     before September 1, 1997, if any element of the offense occurred

1-16     before that date.

1-17           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.