HBA-DMD H.B. 589 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 589 By: West, George Juvenile Justice & Family Issues 2/10/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current Texas law provides for a 48-hour postpartum waiting period before a parent can relinquish their parental rights. On occasion, the current mandatory 48-hour waiting period leads to child abandonment by uninsured mothers discharged before the expiration of the waiting period. H.B. 589 allows a parent to relinquish their parental rights 24 hours after birth. 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 161.103(a), Family Code, to decrease the amount of time that a person must wait to sign an affidavit for voluntary relinquishment of parental rights, from 48 hours to 24 hours. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.