By:  Keel                                                         H.B. No. 227



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to certain notice requirements in a court order providing 
for the possession of or access to a child.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 105.006, Family Code, is amended by 
adding Subsection (e-1) to read as follows:
	(e-1)  An order in a suit that provides for the possession of 
or access to a child must contain the following prominently 
displayed statement in boldfaced type, in capital letters, or 
underlined:
	"NOTICE TO ANY PEACE OFFICER OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:  YOU MAY 
USE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ENFORCE THE TERMS OF CHILD CUSTODY 
SPECIFIED IN THIS ORDER.  A PEACE OFFICER'S RELIANCE ON THE TERMS OF 
A COURT ORDER IS ABSOLUTE INDEMNIFICATION OF THAT OFFICER AND OF THE 
OFFICER'S AGENCY AGAINST ANY CLAIM, CIVIL OR OTHERWISE, REGARDING 
THE OFFICER'S GOOD FAITH ACTS PERFORMED IN THE SCOPE OF THE 
OFFICER'S DUTIES IN ENFORCING THE TERMS OF THE ORDER THAT RELATE TO 
CHILD CUSTODY.  ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY PRESENTS FOR ENFORCEMENT 
AN ORDER THAT IS INVALID OR NO LONGER IN EFFECT COMMITS AN OFFENSE 
THAT MAY BE PUNISHABLE BY CONFINEMENT IN JAIL FOR AS LONG AS TWO 
YEARS AND A FINE OF AS MUCH AS $10,000."
	SECTION 2.  (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                       
	(b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to a 
court order providing for the possession of or access to a child 
that is rendered on or after the effective date of this Act.  A court 
order providing for the possession of or access to a child that is 
rendered before the effective date of this Act is governed by the 
law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and 
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.