By Brown S.B. No. 1394 76R8508 MCK-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the possessory conservator's access to a child on the 1-3 telephone. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 153, Family Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 153.318 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 153.318. TELEPHONE ACCESS. (a) On the request of the 1-8 possessory conservator, the court shall include in the possession 1-9 order that the possessory conservator shall have access to the 1-10 child on the telephone during a specified time each week. The 1-11 order shall specify: 1-12 (1) the day of the week for the telephone access; 1-13 (2) the time that the child must be made available for 1-14 telephone access; and 1-15 (3) the procedure the managing conservator must follow 1-16 if the child will not be available during the designated time for 1-17 telephone access. 1-18 (b) Unless the managing conservator can show that the 1-19 requirement would cause undue financial hardship, the court shall 1-20 order the managing conservator to have a telephone answering device 1-21 or service to receive or record messages to the child from the 1-22 possessory conservator. 1-23 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and 1-24 applies to an order or portion of a decree providing for possession 2-1 of or access to a child that is rendered on or after that date. An 2-2 order rendered before the effective date of this Act is governed by 2-3 the law that existed on the date the order was rendered, and the 2-4 former law is continued in effect for that purpose. 2-5 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.