By Reyna of Bexar H.B. No. 625
76R8571 CMR-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the hearing date on an adoption.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 162.004, Family Code, as amended by
1-5 Section 74, Chapter 751, and Section 1, Chapter 908, Acts of the
1-6 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, is reenacted and amended
1-7 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 162.004. TIME FOR HEARING. (a) The court shall set
1-9 the date for the hearing on the adoption at a time not before the
1-10 40th day [or later than the 60th day] after the later of the date
1-11 the social study is ordered or the date criminal history record
1-12 information is requested under Section 162.0085.
1-13 (b) The [For good cause shown, the] court may set the
1-14 hearing at any time before the time provided by Subsection (a) if
1-15 the hearing date [that] provides adequate time for filing the
1-16 social study and notifying the court of the criminal history record
1-17 information for a person seeking to adopt the child.
1-18 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-19 applies only to a suit for adoption filed on or after that date. A
1-20 suit for adoption filed before the effective date of this Act is
1-21 governed by the law in effect at the time the suit was filed, and
1-22 the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-23 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.