| 1 | 1 | | 86R12204 ADM-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Murr H.B. No. 3741 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to jurisdiction over certain child protection and juvenile |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | matters involving juvenile offenders. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 51.04, Family Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (h) to read as |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | (a) This title covers the proceedings in all cases involving |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | the delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | engaged in by a person who was a child within the meaning of this |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | title at the time the person engaged in the conduct, and, except as |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | provided by Subsection (h) or Section 51.0414, the juvenile court |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | has exclusive original jurisdiction over proceedings under this |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | title. |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (h) A juvenile court judge may refer any aspect of a suit |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | instituted under Subtitle E, Title 5, to an associate judge |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | appointed under Subchapter C, Chapter 201, who serves in the |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | county, with the associate judge's consent. The scope of an |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | associate judge's authority over a suit referred under this |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | subsection is subject to any limitations placed by the juvenile |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | court judge in the order of referral. |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 51, Family Code, is amended by adding |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Section 51.0414 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | Sec. 51.0414. DISCRETIONARY TRANSFER FOR ADJUDICATION OR |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | DISPOSITION. The juvenile court may transfer a child's case, |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | including transcripts of records and documents for the case, to a |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | court located in the county that is exercising jurisdiction over |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | the child under Chapter 263 or 264 for adjudication of the case |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | under Section 54.03 or disposition of the case under Section 54.04. |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | Consent of the court to which the case is transferred under this |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | section is not required. |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. Section 201.204, Family Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (e) An associate judge may hear and render an order in a suit |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | referred to the associate judge by a juvenile court under Section |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | 51.04, subject to the limitations placed on the associate judge's |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | authority in the order of referral. |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this Act is |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, and |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For the |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | purposes of this section, conduct occurred before the effective |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | date of this Act if any element of the conduct occurred before that |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | date. |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
|---|