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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the postponement of certain hearings in suits affecting |
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the parent-child relationship involving the Department of Family |
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and Protective Services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 262.201, Family Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-5) to read as follows: |
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(a-5) If a parent who is not indigent appears in opposition |
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to the suit, the court may, for good cause shown, postpone the full |
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adversary hearing for not more than seven days from the date of the |
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parent's appearance to allow the parent to hire an attorney or to |
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provide the parent's attorney time to respond to the petition and |
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prepare for the hearing. A postponement under this subsection is |
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subject to the limits and requirements prescribed by Subsection |
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(a-3). |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed on or after |
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the effective date of this Act. A suit affecting the parent-child |
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relationship filed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date that the suit was filed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |