| 1 | 1 | | 81R12309 JSC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Aycock H.B. No. 3018 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to standing to file a suit affecting the parent-child |
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| 8 | 8 | | relationship. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 102.003(a), Family Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) An original suit may be filed at any time by: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) a parent of the child; |
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| 14 | 14 | | (2) the child through a representative authorized by |
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| 15 | 15 | | the court; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (3) a custodian or person having the right of |
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| 17 | 17 | | visitation with or access to the child appointed by an order of a |
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| 18 | 18 | | court of another state or country; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (4) a guardian of the person or of the estate of the |
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| 20 | 20 | | child; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (5) a governmental entity; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (6) an authorized agency; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (7) a licensed child placing agency; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (8) a man alleging himself to be the father of a child |
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| 25 | 25 | | filing in accordance with Chapter 160, subject to the limitations |
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| 26 | 26 | | of that chapter, but not otherwise; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (9) a person, other than a foster parent, who has had |
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| 28 | 28 | | actual care, control, and possession of the child for at least six |
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| 29 | 29 | | months ending not more than 90 days preceding the date of the filing |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the petition; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (10) a person designated as the managing conservator |
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| 32 | 32 | | in a revoked or unrevoked affidavit of relinquishment under Chapter |
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| 33 | 33 | | 161 or to whom consent to adoption has been given in writing under |
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| 34 | 34 | | Chapter 162; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (11) a spouse of the child's guardian, managing |
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| 36 | 36 | | conservator, or parent who resided [person] with [whom] the child |
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| 37 | 37 | | and the child's guardian, managing conservator, or parent [have |
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| 38 | 38 | | resided] for at least six months ending not more than 90 days |
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| 39 | 39 | | preceding the date of the filing of the petition if the [child's] |
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| 40 | 40 | | guardian, managing conservator, or parent with whom the child and |
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| 41 | 41 | | spouse resided is deceased at the time of the filing of the |
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| 42 | 42 | | petition; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (12) a person who is the foster parent of a child |
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| 44 | 44 | | placed by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services in |
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| 45 | 45 | | the person's home for at least 12 months ending not more than 90 |
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| 46 | 46 | | days preceding the date of the filing of the petition; |
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| 47 | 47 | | (13) a person who is a relative of the child within the |
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| 48 | 48 | | third degree by consanguinity, as determined by Chapter 573, |
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| 49 | 49 | | Government Code, if the child's parents are deceased at the time of |
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| 50 | 50 | | the filing of the petition; or |
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| 51 | 51 | | (14) a person who has been named as a prospective |
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| 52 | 52 | | adoptive parent of a child by a pregnant woman or the parent of the |
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| 53 | 53 | | child, in a verified written statement to confer standing executed |
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| 54 | 54 | | under Section 102.0035, regardless of whether the child has been |
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| 55 | 55 | | born. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 57 | 57 | | to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed on or after |
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| 58 | 58 | | the effective date of this Act. A suit filed before that date is |
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| 59 | 59 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the suit was filed, and the |
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| 60 | 60 | | former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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