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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the authority of a justice or municipal court over |
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certain juvenile offenders and their parents. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 45.057, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) and amending |
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Subsection (l) to read as follows: |
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(c-1) On a finding by a justice or municipal court that a |
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child who has been found to have engaged in conduct that violates a |
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penal law of this state has previously been found to have engaged in |
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conduct that violates the Penal Code or the Alcoholic Beverage |
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Code, the court may enter a final order requiring: |
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(1) the child to attend a special program that the |
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court determines to be in the best interest of the child, including: |
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(A) an alcohol or drug abuse program; |
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(B) a rehabilitation program; |
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(C) a counseling program, including counseling |
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on self-improvement; |
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(D) a program that provides training in |
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self-esteem and leadership; |
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(E) a work and job skills training program; |
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(F) a program that provides training in socially |
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acceptable behavior; |
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(G) a program that teaches avoiding violence; |
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(H) a program that provides sensitivity |
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training; |
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(I) a program that provides training in advocacy |
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and mentoring; or |
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(J) a program that provides training in parenting |
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or child rearing; |
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(2) the child and the child's parent or parents to |
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attend a class for students at risk of dropping out of school |
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designed for both students and their parents; |
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(3) the child to complete a reasonable number of hours |
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of community service; |
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(4) the child to participate in a specified number of |
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hours of a tutorial program covering the subjects of the academic |
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courses in which the child is enrolled in school; or |
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(5) the Department of Public Safety of the State of |
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Texas to: |
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(A) suspend the driver's license or permit of the |
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child for a period not to exceed one year; or |
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(B) deny the issuance of a driver's license or |
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permit to the child for a period not to exceed one year. |
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(c-2) An order under Subsection (c-1) may not require |
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attendance in a course or program or a period of community service |
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for a period of more than 180 days or the length of the school year, |
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whichever is longer. |
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(l) Any order under this article is enforceable by the |
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justice or municipal court by contempt, except that an order under |
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Subsection (c-1)(2) is enforceable by the justice, municipal, or |
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juvenile court by contempt. |
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SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies |
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only to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this |
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Act. Conduct violating the penal law of this state occurs on or |
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after the effective date of this Act if any element of the violation |
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occurs on or after that date. |
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(b) Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this |
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Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the conduct |
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occurred, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |