By: Huffman, Zaffirini S.B. No. 1887

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to jurisdiction over certain child protection and juvenile matters involving juvenile offenders.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 51.04, Family Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (h) to read as follows:

(a) This title covers the proceedings in all cases involving the delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision engaged in by a person who was a child within the meaning of this title at the time the person engaged in the conduct, and, except as provided by Subsection (h) or Section 51.0414, the juvenile court has exclusive original jurisdiction over proceedings under this title.

(h) A juvenile court judge may refer any aspect of a suit instituted under Subtitle E, Title 5, to an associate judge appointed under Subchapter C, Chapter 201, who serves in the county, with the associate judge's consent. The scope of an associate judge's authority over a suit referred under this subsection is subject to any limitations placed by the juvenile court judge in the order of referral.

SECTION 2. Chapter 51, Family Code, is amended by adding Section 51.0414 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.0414. DISCRETIONARY TRANSFER FOR ADJUDICATION OR DISPOSITION. The juvenile court may transfer a child's case, including transcripts of records and documents for the case, to a court located in a county that is exercising jurisdiction over the child under Chapter 263 or 264 for adjudication of the case under Section 54.03 or disposition of the case under Section 54.04. Consent of the court to which the case is transferred under this section is not required.

SECTION 3. Section 201.204, Family Code, is amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

(e) An associate judge may hear and render an order in a suit referred to the associate judge by a juvenile court under Section 51.04, subject to the limitations placed on the associate judge's authority in the order of referral.

SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act. Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For the purposes of this section, conduct occurred before the effective date of this Act if any element of the conduct occurred before that date.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.