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.