87R12539 BDP-D
By: Miles S.B. No. 1631
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the documentation of child abuse; creating a criminal
offense.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 261, Family Code, is
amended by adding Section 261.112 to read as follows:
Sec. 261.112. DOCUMENTING ABUSE; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A
person commits an offense if the person, during a supervised visit
with a child:
(1) prohibits another person from documenting,
including photographing, suspected abuse of the child; or
(2) interferes with another person who is documenting,
including photographing, suspected abuse of the child.
(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
(c) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this
section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor
may be prosecuted under this section or the other law.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An
offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed
by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and that law is
continued in effect for that purpose. For the purposes of this
section, an offense is committed before the effective date of this
Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.