By Turner of Coleman                                  H.B. No. 3346
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to hearings of juvenile defendants.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Add a new Section 51.20, Title 3, Family Code to
 1-5     read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 51.20.  HEARING.  (a)  The court may hold a hearing
 1-7     under this title at a jail or a facility operated by or under
 1-8     contract with the local law enforcement agency or may conduct the
 1-9     hearing with video communications technology that permits the court
1-10     to see and hear the defendant and that permits the defendant to see
1-11     and hear the court and any other witness.
1-12           (b)  A hearing conducted under this section by video
1-13     communications technology shall be recorded on videotape.  The
1-14     recording is sufficient to serve as a permanent record of the
1-15     hearing.
1-16           SECTION 2.  This ACT is effective September 1, 1999.
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.