Bill Text: TX SB92 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the designation of a juvenile court and a program for certain juveniles who may be the victims of human trafficking.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2013-05-25 - Effective on 9/1/13 [SB92 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-SB92-Introduced.html
  83R764 KCR-D
 
  By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 92
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the designation of a juvenile court and a
  pre-adjudication diversion program for certain juveniles alleged
  to have engaged in conduct that violates certain penal laws
  regarding prostitution.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 51.04, Family Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b) and (e) and adding Subsection (i) to read
  as follows:
         (b)  In each county, the county's juvenile board shall
  designate one or more district, criminal district, domestic
  relations, juvenile, or county courts or county courts at law as the
  juvenile court, subject to Subsections (c), [and] (d), and (i) [of
  this section].
         (e)  A designation made under Subsection (b), [or] (c), or
  (i) [of this section] may be changed from time to time by the
  authorized boards or judges for the convenience of the people and
  the welfare of children. However, there must be at all times a
  juvenile court designated for each county. It is the intent of the
  legislature that in selecting a court to be the juvenile court of
  each county, the selection shall be made as far as practicable so
  that the court designated as the juvenile court will be one which is
  presided over by a judge who has a sympathetic understanding of the
  problems of child welfare and that changes in the designation of
  juvenile courts be made only when the best interest of the public
  requires it.
         (i)  If the court designated as the juvenile court under
  Subsection (b) does not have jurisdiction over proceedings under
  Subtitle E, Title 5, the county's juvenile board shall designate at
  least one other court that does have jurisdiction over proceedings
  under Subtitle E, Title 5, as a juvenile court or alternative
  juvenile court.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 51, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Section 51.0413 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.0413.  JURISDICTION OVER AND TRANSFER OF COMBINATION
  OF PROCEEDINGS.  (a)  A juvenile court designated under Section
  51.04(b) or, if that court does not have jurisdiction over
  proceedings under Subtitle E, Title 5, the juvenile court
  designated under Section 51.04(i), may simultaneously exercise
  jurisdiction over proceedings under this title and proceedings
  under Subtitle E, Title 5, if there is probable cause to believe
  that the child who is the subject of those proceedings engaged in
  conduct that violates Section 43.02, Penal Code, because the child
  was the victim of conduct that constitutes an offense under Section
  20A.02, Penal Code.
         (b)  If a proceeding is instituted under this title in a
  juvenile court designated under Section 51.04(b) that does not have
  jurisdiction over proceedings under Subtitle E, Title 5, the court
  shall transfer the proceedings to a court designated as a juvenile
  court or alternative juvenile court under Section 51.04(i) if, in
  the course of the proceedings, evidence is presented that
  constitutes probable cause to believe that the child who is the
  subject of those proceedings is a child whose conduct is described
  by Subsection (a).
         SECTION 3.  Section 52.01, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Subsection (f) to read as follows:
         (f)  Notwithstanding Subsection (c), a law enforcement
  officer may not issue a warning to a child instead of taking the
  child into custody as authorized by Subsection (a)(2) or (3) if the
  officer has probable cause to believe that the child engaged in
  conduct that violates Section 43.02, Penal Code, because the child
  was the victim of conduct that constitutes an offense under Section
  20A.02, Penal Code.
         SECTION 4.  Section 52.032, Family Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 52.032.  INFORMAL DISPOSITION GUIDELINES. (a) The
  juvenile board of each county, in cooperation with each law
  enforcement agency in the county, shall adopt guidelines for the
  disposition of a child under Section 52.03 or 52.031. The
  guidelines adopted under this section shall not be considered
  mandatory.
         (b)  The guidelines adopted under Subsection (a) may not
  allow for the case of a child to be disposed of under Section 52.03
  or 52.031 if there is probable cause to believe that the child
  engaged in conduct that violates Section 43.02, Penal Code, because
  the child was the victim of conduct that constitutes an offense
  under Section 20A.02, Penal Code.
         SECTION 5.  Chapter 54, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Section 54.0326 to read as follows:
         Sec. 54.0326.  DEFERRAL OF ADJUDICATION AND DISMISSAL OF
  CERTAIN CASES ON COMPLETION OF TRAFFICKED PERSONS COURT PROGRAM.
  (a) This section applies only to a juvenile court exercising
  simultaneous jurisdiction over proceedings under this title and
  Subtitle E, Title 5, in the manner authorized by Section 51.0413.
         (b)  A juvenile court may defer adjudication proceedings
  under Section 54.03 until the 30th day before the date of the
  child's 17th birthday if the child:
               (1)  waives, under Section 51.09, the privilege against
  self-incrimination and testifies under oath that the allegation
  that the child engaged in conduct that violated Section 43.02,
  Penal Code, is true; and
               (2)  presents to the court an oral or written request to
  participate in the program established under Subsection (c).
         (c)  A juvenile board may establish a program under this
  section for the assistance, treatment, and rehabilitation of
  children who are alleged to have engaged in conduct that violates
  Section 43.02, Penal Code, because the children were victims of
  conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 20A.02, Penal
  Code. A program established under this section must:
               (1)  integrate services available to a child pursuant
  to proceedings under this title and Subtitle E, Title 5;
               (2)  focus on early identification of children who
  have engaged in conduct that violates Section 43.02, Penal Code,
  because the children were victims of conduct that constitutes an
  offense under Section 20A.02, Penal Code, and prompt placement of
  those children in the program; and
               (3)  require a child participating in the program to
  periodically appear in court for monitoring and compliance
  purposes.
         (d)  Following a child's completion of the program, the court
  shall dismiss the case with prejudice at the time the child presents
  satisfactory evidence that the child successfully completed a
  program established under Subsection (c).
         (e)  A case dismissed under this section may not be part of
  the child's records for any purpose.
         SECTION 6.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act.
  Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this Act is covered
  by the law in effect at the time the conduct occurred, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For the
  purposes of this section, conduct occurs before the effective date
  of this Act if any element of the conduct occurred before that date.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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