Tex. Fam. Code § 153.317 · Subchapter F. STANDARD POSSESSION ORDER
ALTERNATIVE BEGINNING AND ENDING POSSESSION TIMES.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) If elected by a conservator, the court shall alter the standard possession order under Sections 153.312, 153.314, and 153.315 to provide for one or more of the following alternative beginning and ending possession times for the described periods of possession, unless the court finds that the election is not in the best interest of the child:
(1) for weekend periods of possession under Section 153.312(a)(1) during the regular school term:
(A) beginning at the time the child's school is regularly dismissed;
(B) ending at the time the child's school resumes after the weekend; or
(C) beginning at the time described by Paragraph (A) and ending at the time described by Paragraph (B);
(2) for Thursday periods of possession under Section 153.312(a)(2):
(A) beginning at the time the child's school is regularly dismissed;
(B) ending at the time the child's school resumes on Friday; or
(C) beginning at the time described by Paragraph (A) and ending at the time described by Paragraph (B);
(3) for spring vacation periods of possession under Section 153.312(b)(1), beginning at the time the child's school is dismissed for those vacations;
(4) for Christmas school vacation periods of possession under Section 153.314(1), beginning at the time the child's school is dismissed for the vacation;
(5) for Thanksgiving holiday periods of possession under Section 153.314(3), beginning at the time the child's school is dismissed for the holiday;
(6) for Father's Day periods of possession under Section 153.314(5), ending at 8 a.m. on the Monday after Father's Day weekend;
(7) for Mother's Day periods of possession under Section 153.314(6):
(A) beginning at the time the child's school is regularly dismissed on the Friday preceding Mother's Day;
(B) ending at the time the child's school resumes after Mother's Day; or
(C) beginning at the time described by Paragraph (A) and ending at the time described by Paragraph (B);
(8) for weekend periods of possession that are extended under Section 153.315(b) by a student holiday or teacher in-service day that falls on a Friday, beginning at the time the child's school is regularly dismissed on Thursday; or
(9) for weekend periods of possession that are extended under Section 153.315(a) by a student holiday or teacher in-service day that falls on a Monday, ending at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
(b) A conservator must make an election under Subsection (a) before or at the time of the rendition of a possession order. The election may be made:
(1) in a written document filed with the court; or
(2) through an oral statement made in open court on the record.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 9, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1036, Sec. 15, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by:
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1113 (H.B. 1012), Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 277 (H.B. 845), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 896 (H.B. 3203), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 967 (S.B. 1936), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2021.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.153.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 2e7879afd51a8c75e08baa715813827611af7f2aaed562fecf34ecfa904c65b4
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Family Code
- Tex. Fam. Code § 153.312PARENTS WHO RESIDE 100 MILES OR LESS APART.Printed as Section 153.312(a)(1) | Section 153.312(a)(2) | Section 153.312(b)(1) | Sections 153.312, 153.314, and 153.315
- Tex. Fam. Code § 153.314HOLIDAY POSSESSION UNAFFECTED BY DISTANCE PARENTS RESIDE APART.Printed as Section 153.314(1) | Section 153.314(3) | Section 153.314(5) | Section 153.314(6) | Sections 153.312, 153.314, and 153.315
- Tex. Fam. Code § 153.315WEEKEND POSSESSION EXTENDED BY HOLIDAY.Printed as Section 153.315(a) | Section 153.315(b) | Sections 153.312, 153.314, and 153.315
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Fam. Code § 153.317. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.