By: Turner of Harris H.B. No. 725
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the appeal of waiver of jurisdiction and transfer to
  criminal court in juvenile cases.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 4.18(g), Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (g)  This article does not apply to a claim of a defect or
  error in a discretionary transfer proceeding in juvenile court. A
  defendant may appeal a defect or error only as provided by Chapter
  56, Family Code [Article 44.47].
         SECTION 2.  Section 51.041(a), Family Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The court retains jurisdiction over a person, without
  regard to the age of the person, for conduct engaged in by the
  person before becoming 17 years of age if, as a result of an appeal
  by the person or the state under Chapter 56 [or by the person under
  Article 44.47, Code of Criminal Procedure,] of an order of the
  court, the order is reversed or modified and the case remanded to
  the court by the appellate court.
         SECTION 3.  Section 56.01, Family Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (b-2) to
  read as follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (b-2), the [The]
  requirements governing an appeal are as in civil cases
  generally.  When an appeal is sought by filing a notice of appeal,
  security for costs of appeal, or an affidavit of inability to pay
  the costs of appeal, and the filing is made in a timely fashion
  after the date the disposition order is signed, the appeal must
  include the juvenile court adjudication and all rulings
  contributing to that adjudication.  An appeal of the adjudication
  may be sought notwithstanding that the adjudication order was
  signed more than 30 days before the date the notice of appeal,
  security for costs of appeal, or affidavit of inability to pay the
  costs of appeal was filed.
         (b-2)  An appeal of an order entered under Section 54.02
  regarding waiver of jurisdiction and transfer of a child to
  criminal court for prosecution is governed by the procedures for
  accelerated appeals in civil cases under the Texas Rules of
  Appellate Procedure.
         (c)  An appeal may be taken:
               (1)  except as provided by Subsection (n), by or on
  behalf of a child from an order entered under:
                     (A)  Section 54.02 respecting transfer of the
  child for prosecution as an adult;
                     (B)  Section 54.03 with regard to delinquent
  conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision;
                     (C) [(B)]  Section 54.04 disposing of the case;
                     (D) [(C)]  Section 54.05 respecting modification
  of a previous juvenile court disposition; or
                     (E) [(D)]  Chapter 55 by a juvenile court
  committing a child to a facility for the mentally ill or
  intellectually disabled [mentally retarded]; or
               (2)  by a person from an order entered under Section
  54.11(i)(2) transferring the person to the custody of the Texas
  Department of Criminal Justice.
         SECTION 4.  Article 44.47, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 5.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an order of a juvenile court waiving jurisdiction and
  transferring a child to criminal court that is issued on or after
  the effective date of this Act. An order of a juvenile court waiving
  jurisdiction and transferring a child to criminal court that is
  issued before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law
  in effect on the date the order was issued, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.