| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the duration of certain protective orders against |
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| 8 | 6 | | family violence. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 85.025(a-1), Family Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 9 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | (a-1) The court may render a protective order sufficient to |
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| 13 | 11 | | protect the applicant and members of the applicant's family or |
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| 14 | 12 | | household that is effective for a period that exceeds two years if |
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| 15 | 13 | | the court finds that the person who is the subject of the protective |
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| 16 | 14 | | order: |
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| 17 | 15 | | (1) committed an act constituting a felony offense |
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| 18 | 16 | | involving family violence against the applicant or a member of the |
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| 19 | 17 | | applicant's family or household, regardless of whether the person |
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| 20 | 18 | | has been charged with or convicted of the offense; |
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| 21 | 19 | | (2) caused serious bodily injury to the applicant or a |
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| 22 | 20 | | member of the applicant's family or household; or |
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| 23 | 21 | | (3) [(2)] was the subject of two or more previous |
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| 24 | 22 | | protective orders rendered: |
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| 25 | 23 | | (A) to protect the person on whose behalf the |
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| 26 | 24 | | current protective order is sought; and |
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| 27 | 25 | | (B) after a finding by the court that the subject |
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| 28 | 26 | | of the protective order: |
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| 29 | 27 | | (i) has committed family violence; and |
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| 30 | 28 | | (ii) is likely to commit family violence in |
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| 31 | 29 | | the future. |
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| 32 | 30 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 33 | 31 | | to an application for a protective order that is filed on or after |
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| 34 | 32 | | the effective date of this Act. An application for a protective |
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| 35 | 33 | | order filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the |
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| 36 | 34 | | law in effect on the date the application is filed, and the former |
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| 37 | 35 | | law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 38 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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| 37 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 38 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 39 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 712 passed the Senate on |
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| 40 | + | April 3, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. |
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| 41 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 42 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 43 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 712 passed the House on |
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| 44 | + | May 9, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, one present |
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| 45 | + | not voting. |
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| 46 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 47 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 48 | + | Approved: |
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| 49 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | + | Date |
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| 51 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 52 | + | Governor |
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