By Talton                                             H.B. No. 1043
         76R9728 GWK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the prosecution of the offense of harboring a runaway
 1-3     child.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 25.06(a), Penal Code, is amended to read
 1-6     as follows:
 1-7           (a)  A person commits an offense if he knowingly harbors a
 1-8     child and he is criminally negligent about whether the child:
 1-9                 (1)  is younger than 18 years[;] and
1-10                 [(2)]  has escaped from the custody of a peace officer,
1-11     a probation officer, the Texas Youth Commission [Council], or a
1-12     detention facility for children; [,] or
1-13                 (2)  is younger than 17 years and is voluntarily absent
1-14     from the child's home without the consent of the child's parent or
1-15     guardian for a substantial length of time or without the intent to
1-16     return.
1-17           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
1-18     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
1-19     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
1-20     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
1-21     before the effective date.
1-22           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-23     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
1-24     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 2-1           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-2           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.