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                                                                  H.B. No. 227




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 WHO RELIES ON THE TERMS OF 
A COURT ORDER AND THE OFFICER'S AGENCY ARE ENTITLED TO THE 
APPLICABLE IMMUNITY 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ENFORCEMENT AN ORDER THAT IS INVALID OR NO LONGER IN EFFECT COMMITS 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.




______________________________              ______________________________
 
   President of the Senate                               Speaker of the House      

	I certify that H.B. No. 227 was passed by the House on April 
2, 2003, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in 
Senate amendments to H.B. No. 227 on May 19, 2003, by a non-record 
vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House   

	
I certify that H.B. No. 227 was passed by the Senate, with 
amendments, on May 13, 2003, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 
0.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                      Secretary of the Senate   



APPROVED: __________________                                                
 
                Date                                                         




 
         __________________                                              
 
              Governor