HBA-AMW H.B. 1198 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1198
By: Brimer
State Affairs
3/7/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires court orders regarding judicial decisions to bypass
parental notification of an abortion performed on a minor to be kept
confidential and exempts the decisions from public disclosure requirements.
House Bill 1198 establishes a statistical information reporting requirement
to be administered and developed by the Texas Supreme Court. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the Opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Supreme Court in SECTION 1
(Section 33.012, Family Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1198 amends the Family Code to require the Texas Supreme Court
(supreme court) to adopt rules governing the collection of statistical
information relating to the number of applications filed, granted, and
denied regarding judicial approval to bypass parental notification of an
abortion performed on a minor and the number of applications deemed to be
granted if the court fails to rule on the application and issue written
findings of fact and conclusions of law within a specified time period.
The bill also requires the supreme court to adopt rules governing the
collection of statistical information relating to the number of appeals
made, granted, and denied regarding judicial approval to bypass parental
notification of an abortion performed on a minor and the number of appeals
deemed to be granted if the court of appeals fails to rule on the appeal
within a specified time period.  The bill requires that the aforementioned
information collected by the supreme court be made available to the public
in aggregate form on a regional basis, as determined by the supreme court.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1,2001.