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.