Source: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opinions/opinions/48morales/op/1994/htm/dm0304.htm
Timestamp: 2017-01-20 03:42:36
Document Index: 579340456

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 4', '§ 1', '§ 2', '§ 6', '§ 311', '§ 36', '§ 311', '§ 2', '§ 12', '§ 6', '§ 311', '§ 4', '§ 6', '§ 2', '§ 1', '§ 4', '§ 6']

Educ. Code § 4.25(a), (b) (1991) (bracketed sentence numbers have been added to subsection (a) and will be used in discussion below).
House Bill 1372 re-enacted the full text of subsection (a) but changed the third sentence of subsection (a) as follows: "The attendance officer shall file a complaint against him in the county court, in the justice court of his resident precinct, or in the municipal court of the municipality in which he resides or in any [the] municipality or justice of the peace precinct in which the school district is located." Acts 1993, 73d Leg., ch. 930, § 1. (Italic type indicates insertion; bracketed overstrike indicates deletion.) House Bill 1372 did not otherwise change subsection (a), nor did it change subsection (b).
House Bill 681 also re-enacted the full text of subsection (a) but made a few changes to the subsection. First, the statute added a new sentence after the third sentence of subsection (a): "The attendance officer shall file a complaint under this section in the court to which the parent's child has been referred for engaging in conduct described in Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code, if a referral has been made for the child." Id. ch. 358, § 2. This statute also changed the sixth sentence of subsection (a) as follows: "An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor [punishable by a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $25 for the first offense, not less than $10 nor more than $50 for the second offense, and not less than $25 nor more than $100 for a subsequent offense]." Id. Finally, this statute added a new sentence after the seventh sentence of subsection (a): "Two or more offenses under this section may be consolidated and prosecuted in a single action." Id. House Bill 681 did not change subsection (b).
Senate Bill 7 also re-enacted the full text of subsection (a) but made a few changes to the subsection. First, the statute changed the second sentence of subsection (a) as follows: "If after this warning the parent or person standing in parental relation intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence fails to require the child to attend school as required by law and the child has unexcused voluntary absences for the amount of time specified under Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code, the parent or person standing in parental relation commits an offense." Id. ch. 347, § 6.01. This statute also changed the fourth sentence of subsection (a) as follows: "In addition, if the child has unexcused voluntary absences for the amount of time specified under Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code [been voluntarily absent from school for 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period or three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period without the consent of his parents], the attendance officer shall refer the child to the county juvenile probation department for action as conduct indicating a need for supervision under that section [Section 51.03(b), Family Code]." Id. Finally, this statute doubled all the monetary amounts in the sixth sentence of subsection (a). Id.
Gov't Code § 311.025(b), (c). The constitutional provision referred to above in subsection (c) provides:
Tex. Const. art. III, § 36.
Because the amendments to subsection (a) were enacted without reference to each other in the same legislative session, the amendments must be harmonized as much as possible. Gov't Code § 311.025(b). We find that all the amendments may be harmonized except for the changes to the sixth sentence. House Bill 681 changes the sixth sentence to read as follows: "An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor." Acts 1993, 73d Leg., ch. 358, § 2. A class C misdemeanor is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500. Penal Code § 12.23. Senate Bill 7, however, changes the sixth sentence to read as follows: "An offense under this section is punishable by a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $50 for the first offense, not less than $20 nor more than $100 for the second offense, and not less than $50 nor more than $200 for a subsequent offense." Acts 1993, 73d Leg., ch. 347, § 6.01. These two amendments are irreconcilable, so the later enacted bill prevails. Gov't Code § 311.025(b). House Bill 681 was enacted on May 10, 1993; and Senate Bill 7 was enacted on May 28, 1993. Because Senate Bill 7 was enacted last, its amendment to the sixth sentence prevails over the amendment to the sixth sentence in House Bill 681.
Educ. Code § 4.25(a), (b), amended by Acts 1993, 73d Leg., ch. 347, § 6.01, ch. 358, § 2, ch. 930, § 1.
Senate Bill 7 of the Seventy-third Legislature was enacted after House Bill 681 of the same session, so its amendment to the punishment provision of Education Code section 4.25 prevails over the conflicting amendment in House Bill 681. Therefore, "[a]n offense under . . . section [4.25] is punishable by a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $50 for the first offense, not less than $20 nor more than $100 for the second offense, and not less than $50 nor more than $200 for a subsequent offense." Educ. Code § 4.25(a), (b), amended by Acts 1993, 73d Leg., ch. 347, § 6.01.