S.B. 331 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


S.B. 331
By: Brimer
State Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current Texas law, a minor may seek to obtain judicial authorization
to have an abortion without notifying the minor's parents.  However,
statewide statistical information regarding the frequency of judicial
bypass proceedings is not collected.  The purpose of Senate Bill 331 is to
require the Texas Supreme Court to adopt rules governing the collection of
statistical information relating to certain judicial proceedings to bypass
parental notice of a minor's abortion. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the committee that rulemaking authority is expressly
granted to the Texas Supreme Court in SECTION 1 (Section 33.012(a), Family
Code) of this bill.  

ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 331 amends Chapter 33, Family Code, by adding Section 33.012,
which requires the Texas Supreme Court to adopt rules governing the
collection of statistical information relating to:  

_The number of applications filed, granted, and denied under Section
33.003 of the Family Code (regarding judicial authorization for a minor
who wishes to have an abortion without parental notification) and the
number of applications deemed to be granted under Section 33.003(h) of the
Family Code; and  
_The number of appeals made, granted, and denied under Section 33.004 of
the Family Code (regarding an appeal of a denial of a minor's application)
and the number of appeals deemed to be granted under Section 33.004(b) of
the Family Code.   

The bill requires this information to be made available to the public in
aggregate form on a regional basis as determined by the Supreme Court.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2003.