BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2924 By: Dutton Juvenile Justice & Family Issues Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a court may terminate a parent's parental rights to a child solely because that parent's parental rights were previously terminated with respect to another child for certain conduct involving endangerment of the child's well-being. This penalizes parents who have made strides to turn their life around and become a better parent. H.B. 2924 seeks to ensure parents are not penalized for certain past mistakes by removing this as a ground for involuntarily terminating the parent-child relationship. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 2924 amends the Family Code to remove as grounds for a court to order the involuntary termination of the parent-child relationship a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a parent has had their parent-child relationship terminated with respect to another child based on a finding that the parent engaged in the following conduct in violation of Texas law or substantially equivalent provisions of the law of another state: knowingly placed or knowingly allowed the child to remain in conditions or surroundings which endanger the child's physical or emotional well-being; or engaged in conduct or knowingly placed the child with persons who engage in conduct which endangers the child's physical or emotional well-being. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2021.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 2924
By: Dutton
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 2924
By: Dutton
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a court may terminate a parent's parental rights to a child solely because that parent's parental rights were previously terminated with respect to another child for certain conduct involving endangerment of the child's well-being. This penalizes parents who have made strides to turn their life around and become a better parent. H.B. 2924 seeks to ensure parents are not penalized for certain past mistakes by removing this as a ground for involuntarily terminating the parent-child relationship.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 2924 amends the Family Code to remove as grounds for a court to order the involuntary termination of the parent-child relationship a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a parent has had their parent-child relationship terminated with respect to another child based on a finding that the parent engaged in the following conduct in violation of Texas law or substantially equivalent provisions of the law of another state: knowingly placed or knowingly allowed the child to remain in conditions or surroundings which endanger the child's physical or emotional well-being; or engaged in conduct or knowingly placed the child with persons who engage in conduct which endangers the child's physical or emotional well-being.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2021.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently, a court may terminate a parent's parental rights to a child solely because that parent's parental rights were previously terminated with respect to another child for certain conduct involving endangerment of the child's well-being. This penalizes parents who have made strides to turn their life around and become a better parent. H.B. 2924 seeks to ensure parents are not penalized for certain past mistakes by removing this as a ground for involuntarily terminating the parent-child relationship.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 2924 amends the Family Code to remove as grounds for a court to order the involuntary termination of the parent-child relationship a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a parent has had their parent-child relationship terminated with respect to another child based on a finding that the parent engaged in the following conduct in violation of Texas law or substantially equivalent provisions of the law of another state:
knowingly placed or knowingly allowed the child to remain in conditions or surroundings which endanger the child's physical or emotional well-being; or
engaged in conduct or knowingly placed the child with persons who engage in conduct which endangers the child's physical or emotional well-being.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2021.