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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to procedures related to juvenile cases. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Articles 62.352(b) and (c), Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, are amended to read as follows: |
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(b) After a hearing under Article 62.351 or under a plea |
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agreement described by Article 62.355(b), the juvenile court may |
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enter an order: |
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(1) deferring decision on requiring registration |
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under this chapter until the respondent has completed treatment for |
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the respondent's sexual offense as a condition of probation or |
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while committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Youth
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Commission]; or |
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(2) requiring the respondent to register as a sex |
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offender but providing that the registration information is not |
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public information and is restricted to use by law enforcement and |
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criminal justice agencies, the Council on Sex Offender Treatment, |
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and public or private institutions of higher education. |
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(c) If the court enters an order described by Subsection |
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(b)(1), the court retains discretion and jurisdiction to require, |
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or exempt the respondent from, registration under this chapter at |
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any time during the treatment or on the successful or unsuccessful |
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completion of treatment, except that during the period of deferral, |
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registration may not be required. Following successful completion |
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of treatment, the respondent is exempted from registration under |
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this chapter unless a hearing under this subchapter is held on |
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motion of the prosecuting attorney [state], regardless of whether |
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the respondent is 18 years of age or older, and the court determines |
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the interests of the public require registration. Not later than |
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the 10th day after the date of the respondent's successful |
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completion of treatment, the treatment provider shall notify the |
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juvenile court and prosecuting attorney of the completion. |
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SECTION 2. Section 54.02, Family Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsection (s) to read as follows: |
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(s) If a child is transferred to criminal court under this |
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section, only the petition for discretionary transfer, the order of |
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transfer, and the order of commitment, if any, are a part of the |
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district clerk's public record. All other documents filed in the |
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case must be transferred under seal and made available only to the |
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judge, prosecution, and defense. |
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SECTION 3. Section 54.04(b), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) At the disposition hearing, the juvenile court, |
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notwithstanding the Texas Rules of Evidence or Chapter 37, Code of |
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Criminal Procedure, may consider written reports from probation |
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officers, professional court employees, or professional |
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consultants in addition to the testimony of witnesses. On or |
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before the second day before the date of [Prior to] the disposition |
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hearing, the court shall provide the attorney for the child and the |
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prosecuting attorney with access to all written matter to be |
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considered by the court in disposition. The court may order |
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counsel not to reveal items to the child or the child's parent, |
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guardian, or guardian ad litem if such disclosure would materially |
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harm the treatment and rehabilitation of the child or would |
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substantially decrease the likelihood of receiving information |
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from the same or similar sources in the future. |
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SECTION 4. Section 54.0482, Family Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a), (e), and (f) and adding Subsection (b-1) |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) A juvenile probation department that receives a payment |
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to a victim as the result of a juvenile court order for restitution |
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shall immediately: |
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(1) deposit the payment in an interest-bearing account |
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in the county treasury; and |
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(2) notify the victim [by certified mail, sent to the
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last known address of the victim,] that a payment has been received. |
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(b-1) If the victim does not make a claim for payment on or |
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before the 30th day after the date of being notified under |
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Subsection (a), the juvenile probation department shall notify the |
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victim by certified mail, sent to the last known address of the |
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victim, that a payment has been received. |
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(e) If a victim claims a payment on or before the fifth |
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anniversary of the date on which the juvenile probation department |
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mailed a notice to the victim under Subsection (b-1) [(a)], the |
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juvenile probation department shall pay the victim the amount of |
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the original payment, less any interest earned while holding the |
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payment. |
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(f) If a victim does not claim a payment on or before the |
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fifth anniversary of the date on which the juvenile probation |
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department mailed a notice to the victim under Subsection (b-1) |
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[(a)], the department: |
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(1) has no liability to the victim or anyone else in |
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relation to the payment; and |
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(2) shall transfer the payment from the |
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interest-bearing account to a special fund of the county treasury, |
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the unclaimed juvenile restitution fund. |
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SECTION 5. Section 54.05(e), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(e) After the hearing on the merits or facts, the court may |
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consider written reports from probation officers, professional |
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court employees, or professional consultants in addition to the |
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testimony of other witnesses. On or before the second day before |
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the date of [Prior to] the hearing to modify disposition, the court |
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shall provide the attorney for the child and the prosecuting |
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attorney with access to all written matter to be considered by the |
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court in deciding whether to modify disposition. The court may |
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order counsel not to reveal items to the child or his parent, |
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guardian, or guardian ad litem if such disclosure would materially |
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harm the treatment and rehabilitation of the child or would |
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substantially decrease the likelihood of receiving information |
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from the same or similar sources in the future. |
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SECTION 6. Section 54.051, Family Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b), (e), (e-2), (e-3), and (i) and adding |
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Subsection (d-1) to read as follows: |
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(b) The hearing must be conducted before the person's |
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[child's] 19th birthday, or before the person's 18th birthday if the |
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offense for which the person was placed on probation occurred |
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before September 1, 2011, and must be conducted in the same manner |
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as a hearing to modify disposition under Section 54.05. |
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(d-1) After a transfer to district court under Subsection |
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(d), only the initial petition, the initial grand jury approval, |
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the original judgment, and the transfer order are a part of the |
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district clerk's public record. All other documents filed in the |
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case must be transferred under seal and made available only to the |
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judge, prosecution, and defense. |
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(e) A district court that exercises jurisdiction over a |
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person [child] transferred under Subsection (d) shall place the |
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person [child] on community supervision under Article 42.12, Code |
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of Criminal Procedure, for the remainder of the person's [child's] |
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probationary period and under conditions consistent with those |
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ordered by the juvenile court. |
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(e-2) If a person [child] who is placed on community |
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supervision under this section violates a condition of that |
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supervision or if the person [child] violated a condition of |
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probation ordered under Section 54.04(q) and that probation |
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violation was not discovered by the state before the person's |
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[child's] 19th birthday, the district court shall dispose of the |
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violation of community supervision or probation, as appropriate, in |
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the same manner as if the court had originally exercised |
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jurisdiction over the case. If the judge revokes community |
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supervision, the judge may reduce the prison sentence to any length |
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without regard to the minimum term imposed by Section 23(a), |
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Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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(e-3) The time that a person [child] serves on probation |
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ordered under Section 54.04(q) is the same as time served on |
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community supervision ordered under this section for purposes of |
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determining the person's [child's] eligibility for early discharge |
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from community supervision under Section 20, Article 42.12, Code of |
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Criminal Procedure. |
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(i) If the juvenile court exercises jurisdiction over a |
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person who is 18 or 19 years of age or older, as applicable, under |
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Section 51.041 or 51.0412, the court or jury may, if the person is |
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otherwise eligible, place the person on probation under Section |
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54.04(q). The juvenile court shall set the conditions of probation |
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and immediately transfer supervision of the person to the |
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appropriate court exercising criminal jurisdiction under |
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Subsection (e). |
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SECTION 7. Sections 54.11(b) and (d), Family Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The court shall notify the following of the time and |
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place of the hearing: |
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(1) the person to be transferred or released under |
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supervision; |
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(2) the parents of the person; |
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(3) any legal custodian of the person, including the |
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Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Youth Commission]; |
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(4) the office of the prosecuting attorney that |
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represented the state in the juvenile delinquency proceedings; |
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(5) the victim of the offense that was included in the |
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delinquent conduct that was a ground for the disposition, or a |
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member of the victim's family; and |
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(6) any other person who has filed a written request |
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with the court to be notified of a release hearing with respect to |
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the person to be transferred or released under supervision. |
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(d) At a hearing under this section the court may consider |
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written reports and supporting documents from probation officers, |
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professional court employees, professional consultants, or |
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employees of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Youth
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Commission], in addition to the testimony of witnesses. On or |
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before the fifth day [At least one day] before the date of the |
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hearing, the court shall provide the attorney for the person to be |
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transferred or released under supervision with access to all |
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written matter to be considered by the court. All written matter is |
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per se admissible in evidence at the hearing. |
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SECTION 8. Section 61.0031(d), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The juvenile court to which the order has been |
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transferred shall require the parent or other eligible person to |
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appear before the court to notify the person of the existence and |
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terms of the order, unless the permanent supervision hearing under |
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Section 51.073(c) has been waived. Failure to do so renders the |
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order unenforceable. |
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SECTION 9. Section 221.003(c), Human Resources Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) Any statement made by a child and any mental health data |
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obtained from the child during the administration of the mental |
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health screening instrument or the initial risk and needs |
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assessment instruments under this section is not admissible against |
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the child at any adjudication [other] hearing. The person |
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administering the mental health screening instrument or initial |
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risk and needs assessment instruments shall inform the child that |
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any statement made by the child and any mental health data obtained |
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from the child during the administration of the instrument is not |
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admissible against the child at any adjudication [other] hearing. |
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SECTION 10. (a) Sections 54.02(s) and 54.051(d-1), Family |
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Code, as added by this Act, apply to a transfer hearing commenced |
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under Section 54.02 or 54.051, Family Code, as applicable, on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. A transfer hearing commenced |
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before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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effect on the date the hearing was commenced, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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(b) Sections 54.04(b), 54.05(e), and 54.11(d), Family Code, |
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as amended by this Act, apply only to conduct that occurs on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. Conduct that occurs before the |
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effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect at the |
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time the conduct occurred, and the former law is continued in effect |
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for that purpose. For the purposes of this section, conduct occurs |
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before the effective date of this Act if any element of the conduct |
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occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |