By:  Nelson, et al.                                     S.B. No. 23
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the duration of certain emergency protection orders
 1-2     issued by magistrates.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subsection (i), Article 17.292, Code of Criminal
 1-5     Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
 1-6           (i)  An order for emergency protection issued under this
 1-7     article is effective on issuance, and the defendant shall be served
 1-8     a copy of the order in open court.  An order for emergency
 1-9     protection issued under this article remains in effect until the
1-10     61st [31st] day after the date of issuance.
1-11           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
1-12     to the duration of an order for emergency protection issued on or
1-13     after the effective date of this Act.  The duration of an order for
1-14     emergency protection issued before the effective date of this Act
1-15     is covered by the law in effect when the order was issued, and the
1-16     former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-17           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-18           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.