By Armbrister                                         S.B. No. 1385
         77R6242 DAK-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the examination of children under the jurisdiction of
 1-3     the juvenile court for possible mental illness or mental
 1-4     retardation.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Section 51.20(a), Family Code, is amended to read
 1-7     as follows:
 1-8           (a)  At any stage of the proceedings under this title, the
 1-9     juvenile court may order a child who is referred to the juvenile
1-10     court or who is alleged by a petition or found to have engaged in
1-11     delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision to
1-12     be examined by the local mental health or mental retardation
1-13     authority or another [an] appropriate expert, including a
1-14     physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist.
1-15           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect immediately if it
1-16     receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
1-17     house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
1-18     If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
1-19     effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-20           (b)  This Act applies to an examination of a child under the
1-21     jurisdiction of the juvenile court as provided by Section 51.20,
1-22     Family Code, as amended by this Act, that takes place on or after
1-23     the effective date of this Act, without regard to whether the child
1-24     was first placed under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court
 2-1     before, on, or after that date.