1-1     By:  Bonnen (Senate Sponsor - Brown)                  H.B. No. 2610
 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 offense of criminal nonsupport of a child.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Sections 25.05(a) and (d), Penal Code, are
1-11     amended to read as follows:
1-12           (a)  An individual commits an offense if the individual [he]
1-13     intentionally or knowingly fails to provide support for the
1-14     individual's [his] child younger than 18 years of age, or for the
1-15     individual's [his] child who is the subject of a court order
1-16     requiring the individual to support the child.
1-17           (d)  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this
1-18     section that the actor could not provide support for the actor's
1-19     [his] child.
1-20           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-21     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-22     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-23     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-24     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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