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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to jurisdiction over certain child protection and juvenile |
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matters involving juvenile offenders. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.04, Family Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (h) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) This title covers the proceedings in all cases involving |
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the delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision |
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engaged in by a person who was a child within the meaning of this |
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title at the time the person engaged in the conduct, and, except as |
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provided by Subsection (h) or Section 51.0414, the juvenile court |
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has exclusive original jurisdiction over proceedings under this |
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title. |
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(h) A juvenile court judge may refer any aspect of a suit |
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instituted under Subtitle E, Title 5, to an associate judge |
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appointed under Subchapter C, Chapter 201, who serves in the |
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county, with the associate judge's consent. The scope of an |
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associate judge's authority over a suit referred under this |
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subsection is subject to any limitations placed by the juvenile |
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court judge in the order of referral. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 51, Family Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 51.0414 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.0414. DISCRETIONARY TRANSFER FOR ADJUDICATION OR |
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DISPOSITION. The juvenile court may transfer a child's case, |
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including transcripts of records and documents for the case, to a |
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court located in the county that is exercising jurisdiction over |
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the child under Chapter 263 or 264 for adjudication of the case |
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under Section 54.03 or disposition of the case under Section 54.04. |
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Consent of the court to which the case is transferred under this |
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section is not required. |
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SECTION 3. Section 201.204, Family Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) An associate judge may hear and render an order in a suit |
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referred to the associate judge by a juvenile court under Section |
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51.04, subject to the limitations placed on the associate judge's |
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authority in the order of referral. |
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SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For the |
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purposes of this section, conduct occurred before the effective |
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date of this Act if any element of the conduct occurred before that |
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date. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |