BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2929

By: Hunter

Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties cite the potential for violence during child custody exchanges and assert the importance of providing family violence dynamics training to a person who wishes to qualify for an appointment as an impartial third party in a dispute relating to the parent-child relationship. C.S.H.B. 2929 seeks to provide for qualifications for an impartial third party in certain civil disputes.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

C.S.H.B. 2929 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to specify that the additional 24 hours of training in the fields of family dynamics, child development, and family law that a person must complete to qualify for an appointment as an impartial third party in a dispute relating to the parent-child relationship includes a minimum of four hours of family violence dynamics training developed in consultation with a statewide family violence advocacy organization. The bill establishes that a person who satisfies the qualifications to be such an impartial third party in effect immediately before the bill's effective date is not required to comply with the bill's requirements until January 1, 2018, to be qualified to serve as such an impartial third party and that the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2929 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Section 154.052(b), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is amended to read as follows: (b)  To qualify for an appointment as an impartial third party under this subchapter in a dispute relating to the parent-child relationship, a person must complete the training required by Subsection (a) and: (1)  an additional 24 hours of training in the fields of family dynamics, child development, and family law; and (2)  an additional eight hours of family violence dynamics training provided by a family violence service provider.	SECTION 1.  Section 154.052(b), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is amended to read as follows: (b)  To qualify for an appointment as an impartial third party under this subchapter in a dispute relating to the parent-child relationship, a person must complete the training required by Subsection (a) and an additional 24 hours of training in the fields of family dynamics, child development, and family law, including a minimum of four hours of family violence dynamics training developed in consultation with a statewide family violence advocacy organization.
SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding Section 154.052, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as amended by this Act, a person who satisfies the qualifications to be an impartial third party in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act is not required to comply with the requirements imposed by that section, as amended by this Act, until January 1, 2018, to be qualified to serve as an impartial third party under Subchapter C, Chapter 154, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.