1-1 By: Thompson (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 2381 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 9, 2001; 1-3 April 9, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Jurisprudence; May 1, 2001, reported favorably by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 1, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the appeal of certain suits affecting the parent-child 1-9 relationship. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Section 109.001, Family Code, is amended by adding 1-12 Subsection (d) to read as follows: 1-13 (d) The court may not suspend under Subsection (a)(6) the 1-14 operation of an order or judgment terminating the parent-child 1-15 relationship in a suit brought by the state or a political 1-16 subdivision of the state permitted by law to bring the suit. 1-17 SECTION 2. Sections 109.002(a) and (c), Family Code, are 1-18 amended to read as follows: 1-19 (a) An appeal from a final order rendered in a suit, when 1-20 allowed under this section or under other provisions of law, shall 1-21 be as in civil cases generally. An appeal in a suit in which 1-22 termination of the parent-child relationship is in issue shall be 1-23 given precedence over other civil cases and shall be accelerated by 1-24 the appellate courts. The procedures for an accelerated appeal 1-25 under the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure apply to an appeal in 1-26 which the termination of the parent-child relationship is in issue. 1-27 (c) An appeal from a final order, with or without a 1-28 supersedeas bond, does not suspend the order unless suspension is 1-29 ordered by the court rendering the order. The appellate court, on 1-30 a proper showing, may permit the order to be suspended, unless the 1-31 order provides for the termination of the parent-child relationship 1-32 in a suit brought by the state or a political subdivision of the 1-33 state permitted by law to bring the suit. 1-34 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and 1-35 applies only to an appeal in a suit affecting the parent-child 1-36 relationship pending on or commenced on or after the effective date 1-37 of this Act. 1-38 * * * * *