BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2323 By: Clemons April 24, 1995 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Deadbeat parents with income who fail to pay child support run up the nation's welfare bill while depriving their children of vital support. It is estimated that 40% of welfare dollars go to children whose non-custodial parents can afford to pay child support, but fail to do so. According to 1993 figures, the national average on collections by state governments is approximately 19%, while Texas collects in only 15% of its total cases. The Child Support Enforcement Division (CSED) in Texas has 68 field offices, and over 2500 of the 3700 positions in the Attorney General's Office are filled by CSED employees. The backlog of cases has still more than doubled in the past four years despite the number of employees working on the problem. Supporters of the AG's office claim that the system is simply overburdened, and there are not enough people for all the calls and cases. Critics claim that the major problem is an unresponsive bureaucracy tainted by lost files, unanswered calls, and uncaring workers. At least one suggestion has been for the state of Texas to get out of the child support collection business and turn to privatizing the process. PURPOSE This Act is intended to sunset the involvement of the AG's office in child support matters unless the 75th Legislature sees drastic improvement in the collection process and deems it necessary to continue that involvement. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 76, Human Resources Code, by adding Section 76.0011 as follows: Section 76.0011. SUNSET REVIEW OF ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHILD SUPPORT DUTIES. Provides that the involvement of the Attorney General's office in child support matters is subject to the Sunset Act (Chapter 325, Government Code) and will be terminated on September 1, 1997, unless continued as provided in this chapter. Imposes on the Attorney General's office the same duty as a state agency under review under this chapter. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 2323 was considered in a public hearing on 12 April 1995. The following persons testified in favor of the bill: Jack Tucker, representing himself, Texas Fathers Alliance; Brent Sandbak, representing himself, Texas Fathers; Robert L. Green Jr., representing himself, Primary Nurturing Fathers of Texas/Texas Fathers Alliance; Rebecca Tarter, representing herself and her husband, Thomas N. Tarter; David Burgess, Central Texas Chapter, Texas Fathers for Equal Rights. The following person testified neutrally on the bill: Charles G. Childress, Office of the Attorney General, Child Support Enforcement. The committee reported H.B. 2323 favorably without amendment with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed by a record vote of 5 ayes, 1 nay, 1 pnv, 2 absent.