BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 554

By: Thompson, Senfronia

Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that recently enacted legislation inadvertently used the wrong term to refer to parties appealing a certain temporary order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. H.B. 554 seeks to clarify this issue by correcting that error and ratifying certain orders.

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

H.B. 554 amends the Family Code, for purposes of temporary orders issued during the pendency of an appeal in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship enjoining a party from molesting or disturbing the peace of the child or another party, to clarify that such an order may be rendered without the issuance of a bond between the applicable parties by removing the specification that such an order may be rendered without the issuance of a bond between the spouses. The bill applies to a temporary order rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction on or after September 1, 2017, but before the bill's effective date and establishes that the legislature ratifies such an order.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.