By: Hinojosa  S.B. No. 539
         (In the Senate - Filed January 19, 2017; February 8, 2017,
  read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  March 14, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; March 14, 2017,
  sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 539 By:  Zaffirini
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the qualifications for an impartial third party in
  certain civil disputes.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         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 eight 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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
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