AN ACT

 1-1     relating to counseling for certain persons in a suit for divorce or

 1-2     a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 6.505, Family Code, as added by S.B. No.

 1-5     334, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, is

 1-6     amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

 1-7           (e)  If the court orders counseling under this section and

 1-8     the parties to the marriage are the parents of a child under 18

 1-9     years of age born or adopted during the marriage, the counseling

1-10     shall include counseling on issues that confront children who are

1-11     the subject of a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.

1-12           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-13     applies only to a suit filed on or after that date.  A suit filed

1-14     before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in

1-15     effect at the time the suit was filed, and the former law is

1-16     continued in effect for that purpose.

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.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1384 passed the Senate on

         May 21, 1997, by a viva-voce vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1384 passed the House on

         May 28, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor