85R782 MK-D
By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 739
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the postponement of certain hearings in suits affecting
the parent-child relationship involving the Department of Family
and Protective Services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 262.201, Family Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (a-5) to read as follows:
(a-5) If a parent who is not indigent appears in opposition
to the suit, the court may, for good cause shown, postpone the full
adversary hearing for not more than seven days from the date of the
parent's appearance to allow the parent to hire an attorney or to
provide the parent's attorney time to respond to the petition and
prepare for the hearing. A postponement under this subsection is
subject to the limits and requirements prescribed by Subsection
(a-3).
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship 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 that the suit was filed,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.