SRC-MSY S.B. 331 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 331
78R3327 DLF-DBy: Brimer
State Affairs
3/17/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Under current Texas law, a minor can receive judicial approval to have an
abortion without notifying the minor's parents.  However, statewide
statistical information regarding the frequency of such approvals is not
collected.  As proposed, S.B. 331 requires the Texas Supreme Court to
establish a program to collect statistical information regarding the
number of applications and appeals for such judicial approvals. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Supreme Court in
SECTION 1 (Section 33.012, Family Code) of this bill.   

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 33, Family Code, by adding Section 33.012, as
follows: 

Sec.  33.012.  STATISTICAL INFORMATION.  (a)  Requires the Texas Supreme
Court (court) to adopt rules for the collection of statistical information
relating to:  

(1)  The number of applications filed, granted, and denied under Section
33.003 (regarding judicial approval for a minor to have an abortion
without parental approval) and the number of applications deemed to be
granted under Section 33.003(h). 

(2)  The number of appeals made, granted, and denied under Section 33.004
(regarding an appeal of the aforementioned judicial decision) and the
number of appeals deemed to be granted under Section 33.004(b). 

(b)  Requires this information to be made available to the public in
aggregate form on a regional basis as determined by the court.  

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.