By:  Ellis                                             S.B. No. 804
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to developing a standard format for protective orders.
 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-3           SECTION 1.  (a)  The Department of Public Safety of the State
 1-4     of Texas shall collaborate with the Texas Council on Family
 1-5     Violence and the Texas District and County Attorneys Association to
 1-6     develop a standard format for protective orders issued under Title
 1-7     4, Family Code.
 1-8           (b)  In developing the standard format for protective orders
 1-9     as required by Subsection (a) of this section, the Department of
1-10     Public Safety of the State of Texas shall consider the standard
1-11     formats for protective orders adopted by other states.
1-12           (c)  To the maximum extent possible, the standard format for
1-13     a protective order developed under Subsection (a) of this section
1-14     must be concise and easily understandable to a peace officer who
1-15     attempts to enforce the order.
1-16           SECTION 2.  Not later than December 1, 2000, the director of
1-17     the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas shall make a
1-18     recommendation to the 77th Legislature regarding a standard format
1-19     for protective orders issued under Title 4, Family Code.
1-20           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-21           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.