HBA-SEB S.B. 1571 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1571
By: West, Royce
Juvenile Justice and Family Issues
4/28/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the venue for a juvenile delinquency proceeding may be either in
the county in which the child resides or the county where an alleged
delinquent conduct or conduct indicating need for supervision occurred.  At
times, a case changes venue repeatedly.  S.B. 1571 requires the proceeding
to be held in a child's county of residence only if the child was under
probation supervision in that county at the time of the commission of the
conduct, it cannot be determined in which county the conduct occurred, or
the county in which the child resides agrees to accept the case for
prosecution. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 51.06(a), Family Code, to require a juvenile
justice proceeding to begin in the county in which the alleged delinquent
conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision occurred or the county
in which the child resides at the time the petition is filed. Requires the
proceeding to be held in the child's county of residence only if the child
was under probation supervision in that county at the time of the
commission of the conduct, it cannot be determined in which county the
conduct occurred, or the county in which the child resides agrees to accept
the case for prosecution, in writing, prior to the case being sent to the
county of residence for prosecution.  Makes a conforming change. 

SECTION 2.Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.