Sec. 1, eff. 1, eff. FALSE REPORT OF CHILD ABUSE. 20, Sec. 1.047, eff. Texas law has a default child custody schedule, which is known as a Standard Possession Order (SPO). ABDUCTION RISK FACTORS. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. If the court finds that it is necessary under Section 153.501 to take measures to protect a child from international abduction by a parent of the child, the court may take any of the following actions: (1) appoint a person other than the parent of the child who presents a risk of abducting the child as the sole managing conservator of the child; (2) require supervised visitation of the parent by a visitation center or independent organization until the court finds under Section 153.501 that supervised visitation is no longer necessary; (3) enjoin the parent or any person acting on the parent's behalf from: (A) disrupting or removing the child from the school or child-care facility in which the child is enrolled; or. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. Sec. 751, Sec. Sec. PARENTING PLAN NOT REQUIRED IN TEMPORARY ORDER. (5) any other agreement between the parties that is approved by a court. September 1, 2009. September 1, 2021. Sec. 20, Sec. 972 (S.B. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. the child is under 3 and the noncustodial parent did not have frequent, ongoing . The possessory conservator and the managing conservator shall have rights of possession of the child as follows: (1) the possessory conservator shall have possession of the child in even-numbered years beginning at 6 p.m. on the day the child is dismissed from school for the Christmas school vacation and ending at noon on December 28, and the managing conservator shall have possession for the same period in odd-numbered years; (2) the possessory conservator shall have possession of the child in odd-numbered years beginning at noon on December 28 and ending at 6 p.m. on the day before school resumes after that vacation, and the managing conservator shall have possession for the same period in even-numbered years; (3) the possessory conservator shall have possession of the child in odd-numbered years, beginning at 6 p.m. on the day the child is dismissed from school before Thanksgiving and ending at 6 p.m. on the following Sunday, and the managing conservator shall have possession for the same period in even-numbered years; (4) the parent not otherwise entitled under this standard possession order to present possession of a child on the child's birthday shall have possession of the child beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m. on that day, provided that the parent picks up the child from the residence of the conservator entitled to possession and returns the child to that same place; (5) if a conservator, the father shall have possession of the child beginning at 6 p.m. on the Friday preceding Father's Day and ending on Father's Day at 6 p.m., provided that, if he is not otherwise entitled under this standard possession order to present possession of the child, he picks up the child from the residence of the conservator entitled to possession and returns the child to that same place; and. 219), Sec. 1113 (H.B. The Texas Family Code presumes the SPO is the minimum amount of parenting time (possession) unless evidence is presented to the court showing why it is not in the child's best interest, such as: little or no prior contact with the child. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 1036, Sec. (5) if feasible, recommend that the parties use an alternative dispute resolution method before requesting enforcement or modification of the terms and conditions of the joint conservatorship through litigation, except in an emergency. Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 682 (H.B. Sec. MUTUAL AGREEMENT OR SPECIFIED TERMS FOR POSSESSION. Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. COURT-ORDERED JOINT CONSERVATORSHIP. The Texas Legislature has made clear in the Texas Family Code 153.3101 through 153.317, that a Standard Possession Order (or SPO) is in the best interest of the child. (b) If the parties agree to binding arbitration, the court shall render an order reflecting the arbitrator's award unless the court determines at a non-jury hearing that the award is not in the best interest of the child. PARENTING PLAN FOR JOINT MANAGING CONSERVATORSHIP. Under those laws, the Standard Possession Order sets forth different visitation periods when the parents live 100 miles or less apart, and more than 100 miles apart. Sec. 153.610. (b) The periods of visitation shall be the same as the visitation to which the conservator without the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child was entitled under the court order in effect immediately before the date the temporary order is rendered. April 20, 1995. ADDITIONAL PERIODS OF POSSESSION OR ACCESS. 916 (H.B. 153.009. If both of the parents of a child are deceased, the court may consider appointment of a parent, sister, or brother of a deceased parent as a managing conservator of the child, but that consideration does not alter or diminish the discretionary power of the court. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. (b) A parenting facilitator who, after being appointed in a suit, discovers that the parenting facilitator has a conflict of interest with, or has previous knowledge of, a party or a child who is the subject of the suit shall: (1) immediately disclose the conflict or previous knowledge to the court, each attorney for a party, any attorney for a child, and any party who does not have an attorney; and. VOLUNTARY SURRENDER OF POSSESSION REBUTS PARENTAL PRESUMPTION. (e) It is a rebuttable presumption that it is not in the best interest of a child for a parent to have unsupervised visitation with the child if credible evidence is presented of a history or pattern of past or present child neglect or abuse or family violence by: (2) any person who resides in that parent's household or who is permitted by that parent to have unsupervised access to the child during that parent's periods of possession of or access to the child. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. (a) The sibling of a child who is separated from the child because of an action taken by the Department of Family and Protective Services may request access to the child by filing: (b) A sibling described by Subsection (a) may request access to the child in a suit filed for the sole purpose of requesting the relief, without regard to whether the appointment of a managing conservator is an issue in the suit. 1 (S.B. September 1, 2019. 555), Sec. Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0) Status: (Passed) 2021-06-18 - Effective on 9/1/21 [SB1936 Detail] Download: Texas-2021-SB1936-Engrossed.html September 1, 2007. Sec. A requirement in a parenting plan that a party initiate or participate in a dispute resolution process before filing a court action does not apply to an action: (1) to modify the parenting plan in an emergency; (3) alleging that the child's present circumstances will significantly impair the child's physical health or significantly impair the child's emotional development; (5) in which the party shows that enforcement of the requirement is precluded or limited by Section 153.0071. (2) the grandchild has been adopted, or is the subject of a pending suit for adoption, by a person other than the child's stepparent. Sept. 1, 1995. Sec. 1228), Sec. We have offices in Fort Bend County, Matagorda County, and Wharton . Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 3, eff. Sec. (b) If the conservator described by Subsection (a) petitions the court under Subsection (a), the court: (1) shall compute the periods of possession or access to the child described by Subsection (a)(1); and. 1.044, eff. (J) poses a risk that the child's physical health or safety would be endangered in the country because of specific circumstances relating to the child or because of human rights violations committed against children, including arranged marriages, lack of freedom of religion, child labor, lack of child abuse laws, female genital mutilation, and any form of slavery. 482 (H.B. SUIT FOR POSSESSION OR ACCESS BY GRANDPARENT. The duties of the parenting coordinator are limited to matters that will aid the parties in: (4) exploring possibilities for problem solving; (5) developing methods of collaboration in parenting; (6) understanding parenting plans and reaching agreements about parenting issues to be included in a parenting plan; (7) complying with the court's order regarding conservatorship or possession of and access to the child; (9) obtaining training regarding problem solving, conflict management, and parenting skills; and. (c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(1), the court shall render an order adopting the provisions of a written agreed parenting plan appointing the parents as joint managing conservators if the parenting plan: (1) meets all the requirements of Subsections (a)(2) through (6); and. 9, eff. 1036, Sec. 153.373. (e) If a mediated settlement agreement meets the requirements of Subsection (d), a party is entitled to judgment on the mediated settlement agreement notwithstanding Rule 11, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, or another rule of law. 252), Sec. 1150 (S.B. 1113 (H.B. 153.611. (a) A person who has a conflict of interest with, or has previous knowledge of, a party or a child who is the subject of a suit must, before being appointed as parenting facilitator in a suit: (1) disclose the conflict or previous knowledge to the court, each attorney for a party, any attorney for a child, and any party who does not have an attorney; and. 153.014. (B) the possessory conservator shall return the child to the residence of the managing conservator at the end of each period of possession, except that the order shall provide that the possessory conservator shall surrender the child to the managing conservator at the end of each period of possession at the residence of the possessory conservator if: (i) at the time the original order or a modification of an order establishing terms and conditions of possession or access the possessory conservator and the managing conservator lived in the same county, the possessory conservator's county of residence remains the same after the rendition of the order, and the managing conservator's county of residence changes, effective on the date of the change of residence by the managing conservator; or. 13, eff. 10, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 845), Sec. 153.135. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. CONSERVATORSHIP, POSSESSION, AND ACCESS. 751, Sec. 1237), Sec. Unless limited by court order or other provisions of this chapter, a nonparent, a licensed child-placing agency, or the Department of Family and Protective Services appointed as a managing conservator of the child has the following rights and duties: (1) the right to have physical possession and to direct the moral and religious training of the child; (2) the duty of care, control, protection, and reasonable discipline of the child; (3) the duty to provide the child with clothing, food, shelter, education, and medical, psychological, and dental care; (4) the right to consent for the child to medical, psychiatric, psychological, dental, and surgical treatment and to have access to the child's medical records; (5) the right to receive and give receipt for payments for the support of the child and to hold or disburse funds for the benefit of the child; (6) the right to the services and earnings of the child; (7) the right to consent to marriage and to enlistment in the armed forces of the United States; (8) the right to represent the child in legal action and to make other decisions of substantial legal significance concerning the child; (9) except when a guardian of the child's estate or a guardian or attorney ad litem has been appointed for the child, the right to act as an agent of the child in relation to the child's estate if the child's action is required by a state, the United States, or a foreign government; (10) the right to designate the primary residence of the child and to make decisions regarding the child's education; (11) if the parent-child relationship has been terminated with respect to the parents, or only living parent, or if there is no living parent, the right to consent to the adoption of the child and to make any other decision concerning the child that a parent could make; and. Sec. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 16, eff. 153.606. 153.3721. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 153.6102. Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 3203), Sec. A record of the interview shall be part of the record in the case. 482 (H.B. (a) The court may order reasonable possession of or access to a grandchild by a grandparent if: (1) at the time the relief is requested, at least one biological or adoptive parent of the child has not had that parent's parental rights terminated; (2) the grandparent requesting possession of or access to the child overcomes the presumption that a parent acts in the best interest of the parent's child by proving by a preponderance of the evidence that denial of possession of or access to the child would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional well-being; and.