By King of Parker                                     H.B. No. 1634
         77R3886 MCK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to certain payments allowed in an adoption case.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 25.08(b), Penal Code, is amended to read
 1-5     as follows:
 1-6           (b)  It is an exception to the application of this section
 1-7     that the thing of value is:
 1-8                 (1)  a fee or reimbursement paid to a child-placing
 1-9     agency as authorized by law;
1-10                 (2)  a fee paid to an attorney, social worker, mental
1-11     health professional, or physician for services rendered in the
1-12     usual course of legal or medical practice or in providing adoption
1-13     counseling;  [or]
1-14                 (3)  a reimbursement of legal or medical expenses
1-15     incurred by a person for the benefit of the child; or
1-16                 (4)  a necessary pregnancy-related expense paid by a
1-17     child-placing agency for the benefit of the child's parent during
1-18     the pregnancy or after the birth of the child as permitted by the
1-19     minimum standards for child-placing agencies and Department of
1-20     Protective and Regulatory Services rules.
1-21           SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to an
1-22     offense under Section 25.08, Penal Code, committed before, on, or
1-23     after the effective date of this Act, except that a conviction for
1-24     an offense under Section 25.08 that becomes final before the
 2-1     effective date of this Act is unaffected by this Act.
 2-2           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.