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  By: Spiller, Garcia (Senate Sponsor - Bettencourt) H.B. No. 891
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2023;
  May 9, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 16, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 16, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
 
  COMMITTEE VOTE
 
 
         YeaNayAbsentPNV
         HughesX
         PaxtonX
         BettencourtX
         BirdwellX
         LaMantiaX
         MenéndezX
         MiddletonX
         ParkerX
         PerryX
         SchwertnerX
         ZaffiriniX
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the use of expert testimony in certain suits affecting
  the parent-child relationship.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 104.008, Family Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  Subsection (a) does not prohibit a person from
  offering an expert opinion regarding the qualifications of,
  reliability of the methodology used by, or relevance of the
  information obtained by a person who has conducted a custody
  evaluation relating to the child under Subchapter D, Chapter 107,
  as long as the person's testimony does not violate Subsection (a).
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a suit affecting the parent-child relationship that is filed on or
  after the effective date of this Act. A suit affecting the
  parent-child relationship filed before the effective date of this
  Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the suit is filed,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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