BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 841

By: Gonzalez, Naomi

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent legislation transferred many of the powers and duties of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services to the Department of Family and Protective Services.  However, not all references to the department in statute were changed to reflect the new name. H.B. 841 intends to clean up references in the Family Code.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 841 amends the Family Code to replace references to the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services with the Department of Family and Protective Services in provisions relating to notice of abortion, including judicial approval of a minor to consent to an abortion without notification and a physician's duty to report suspected abuse of a minor; the admissibility of a child's statement under the juvenile justice code; protective orders, including the assessment of attorney's fees against a party found to have committed family violence or a party against whom an agreed protective order is rendered, the payment of such fees, representation by a prosecuting attorney of certain parties, and the filing of an application for a protective order; definitions applicable to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship; and standing to file a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.