1-1 By: Harris S.B. No. 612 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 14, 1997; February 19, 1997, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; 1-4 April 30, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5, 1-5 Nays 1; April 30, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to a defense to prosecution for endangering a child. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Section 22.041, Penal Code, is amended by adding 1-11 Subsection (g) to read as follows: 1-12 (g) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (c) that 1-13 the act or omission enables the child to practice for or 1-14 participate in an organized athletic event and that appropriate 1-15 safety equipment and procedures are employed in the event. 1-16 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. The 1-17 change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed 1-18 on or after September 1, 1997. An offense committed before 1-19 September 1, 1997, is covered by the law in effect when the offense 1-20 was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that 1-21 purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed 1-22 before September 1, 1997, if any element of the offense occurred 1-23 before that date. 1-24 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-27 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-28 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-29 * * * * *