By:  Goodman (Senate Sponsor - Harris)                            H.B. No. 204
	(In the Senate - Received from the House March 29, 2005; 
March 30, 2005, read first time and referred to Committee on 
Jurisprudence; May 5, 2005, reported favorably by the following 
vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 5, 2005, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to inheritance rights of adopted adults. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 162.507(c), Family Code, is amended to read as follows: (c) The adopted adult may not [retains the right to] inherit from or through the adult's biological parent [parents]. A [However, a] biological parent may not inherit from or through an adopted adult. SECTION 2. Section 40, Texas Probate Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 40. INHERITANCE BY AND FROM AN ADOPTED CHILD. For purposes of inheritance under the laws of descent and distribution, an adopted child shall be regarded as the child of the parent or parents by adoption, such adopted child and its descendants inheriting from and through the parent or parents by adoption and their kin the same as if such child were the natural child of such parent or parents by adoption, and such parent or parents by adoption and their kin inheriting from and through such adopted child the same as if such child were the natural child of such parent or parents by adoption. The natural parent or parents of such child and their kin shall not inherit from or through said child, but, except as provided by Section 162.507(c), Family Code, the [said] child shall inherit from and through its natural parent or parents. Nothing herein shall prevent any parent by adoption from disposing of his property by will according to law. The presence of this Section specifically relating to the rights of adopted children shall in no way diminish the rights of such children, under the laws of descent and distribution or otherwise, which they acquire by virtue of their inclusion in the definition of "child" which is contained in this Code. SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to the estate of a person who dies on or after the effective date of this Act. An estate of a person who dies before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect on the date of the person's death, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
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