BILL ANALYSIS


                                                        H.B. 1274
                                            By: Naishtat (Harris)
                                                    Jurisprudence
                                                         05-23-95
                              Senate Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND

The Family Code permits domestic relations offices (offices) to
obtain information from the Department of Public Safety and the
Texas Employment Commission on an individual who has been ordered
to pay child support, been designated as the father of a child, or
has executed a statement of paternity.  The information may include
a person's birth date, address, driver's license number, traffic
violations, employer, and salary.  All information obtained is
confidential and privileged information for the exclusive official
use of the domestic relations office.  It is an offense to relate
or disclose the information without the subject's consent.

The statute also authorizes the agencies providing the information
to charge the offices a fee for furnishing records.

The secretary of state's office maintains records from voter
registration forms which include information that may assist a
domestic relations office.  Some of the information is required on
a voter registration form and some, such as the social security
number and phone number, is voluntary.  Currently, offices are not
authorized to access the information maintained by the secretary of
state.

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 1274 sets forth a list of information about a
registered voter which a domestic relations office is entitled to
obtain from the office of the secretary of state.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 203.012, Family Code, as added by H.B.
655, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, by
amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (g), to authorize the
office of the secretary of state to charge a domestic relations
office a fee not to exceed the charge paid by the Title IV-D
agency, rather than the attorney general's office, for furnishing
records under this section.  Sets forth a list of information about
a registered voter which a domestic relations office is entitled to
obtain from the office of the secretary of state.  Makes conforming
changes.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.