Sec. 52.03.  DISPOSITION WITHOUT REFERRAL TO COURT.  (a)  A law-enforcement officer authorized by this title to take a child into custody may dispose of the case of a child taken into custody or accused of a Class C misdemeanor, other than a traffic offense, without referral to juvenile court or charging a child in a court of competent criminal jurisdiction, if:
(1)  guidelines for such disposition have been adopted by the juvenile board of the county in which the disposition is made as required by Section 52.032;
(2)  the disposition is authorized by the guidelines; and
(3)  the officer makes a written report of the officer's disposition to the law-enforcement agency, identifying the child and specifying the grounds for believing that the taking into custody or accusation of criminal conduct was authorized.
(b)  No disposition authorized by this section may involve:
(1)  keeping the child in law-enforcement custody;  or
(2)  requiring periodic reporting of the child to a law-enforcement officer, law-enforcement agency, or other agency.
(c)  A disposition authorized by this section may involve:
(1)  referral of the child to an agency other than the juvenile court;
(2)  a brief conference with the child and his parent, guardian, or custodian; or
(3)  referral of the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian for services under Section 137.152, Human Resources Code.
(d)  Statistics indicating the number and kind of dispositions made by a law-enforcement agency under the authority of this section shall be reported at least annually to the office or official designated by the juvenile board, as ordered by the board.
Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 1460, ch. 544, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1973.  Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 18, eff. Jan. 1, 1996;  Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 48, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999;  Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1297, Sec. 15, eff. Sept. 1, 2001;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 283, Sec. 10, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1407 (S.B. 393), Sec. 15, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1033 (S.B. 24), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2023.