1-1 By: Whitmire S.B. No. 1607 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1999; March 15, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; 1-4 April 19, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 19, 1999, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1607 By: Jackson 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the establishment of infant care and parenting programs 1-11 in the Texas Youth Commission. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 61, Human Resources Code, 1-14 is amended by adding Section 61.0762 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 61.0762. INFANT CARE AND PARENTING PROGRAM. (a) The 1-16 commission may establish infant care and parenting programs for 1-17 children who are parents. 1-18 (b) The commission may permit a child who is the mother of 1-19 an infant younger than 36 months to have possession of her infant 1-20 in a residential program that has an infant care and parenting 1-21 program until the infant reaches the age of 36 months or the mother 1-22 is released under supervision if: 1-23 (1) the infant's father or another relative or 1-24 guardian of the infant agrees in advance of the infant's placement 1-25 with the infant's mother to assume possession of the infant 1-26 immediately upon notice by the commission to do so; 1-27 (2) the infant's parents and any other person having a 1-28 duty of support acknowledge that by permitting the mother to have 1-29 possession of the infant while the mother is confined in a 1-30 residential facility, the commission assumes no responsibility for 1-31 the infant's care beyond the responsibility of care that is 1-32 ordinarily due the infant's mother and the reasonable 1-33 accommodations that are necessary for the mother's care of the 1-34 infant; 1-35 (3) the infant's parents and any other person having a 1-36 duty of support agree to indemnify and hold the commission harmless 1-37 from any claims that may be made against the commission for the 1-38 infant's support, including medical support; and 1-39 (4) the commission determines that the placement is in 1-40 the best interest of both the mother and her infant. 1-41 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-42 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-43 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-44 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-45 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-46 * * * * *