| 1 | 1 | | 84R8015 LED-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hernandez H.B. No. 1439 |
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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 the creation of an educational publication for judicial |
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| 8 | 8 | | guidance on cases involving a child who may be eligible for special |
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| 9 | 9 | | immigrant juvenile status. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 22.020 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 22.020. EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATION FOR JUDICIAL GUIDANCE |
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| 14 | 14 | | RELATED TO SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILE STATUS. (a) The Permanent |
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| 15 | 15 | | Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families established by |
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| 16 | 16 | | the supreme court shall develop a comprehensive, educational |
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| 17 | 17 | | publication to provide judicial guidance in determining a court's |
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| 18 | 18 | | jurisdiction and presiding over a case that involves a child who may |
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| 19 | 19 | | be eligible for special immigrant juvenile status, as defined by 8 |
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| 20 | 20 | | U.S.C. Section 1101, and in making findings and issuing orders to |
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| 21 | 21 | | assist in determining the child's eligibility for that status. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The publication must: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) include information about: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (A) federal law relating to special immigrant |
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| 25 | 25 | | juvenile status; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (B) existing jurisdiction of courts in this state |
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| 27 | 27 | | over cases involving a child who may be eligible for special |
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| 28 | 28 | | immigrant juvenile status; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (C) definitions of abuse, neglect, and |
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| 30 | 30 | | abandonment in Texas law; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (D) findings necessary for a child to be granted |
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| 32 | 32 | | special immigrant juvenile status; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) be compiled into a single document; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) be made available in hard copy and electronic |
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| 35 | 35 | | formats. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) The commission shall distribute the publication: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) electronically to each court in this state with |
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| 38 | 38 | | jurisdiction over juvenile cases; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) in hard copy format at judicial conferences and |
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| 40 | 40 | | meetings; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (3) in hard copy format on request. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. The Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, |
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| 43 | 43 | | Youth and Families shall develop and distribute to each court in |
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| 44 | 44 | | this state with jurisdiction over juvenile cases the educational |
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| 45 | 45 | | publication required by Section 22.020, Government Code, as added |
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| 46 | 46 | | by this Act, not later than September 1, 2016. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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