BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 1585 By: Henderson Jurisprudence 4-27-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Section 152.1074 of the Human Resources Code authorizes the Harris County Commissioners Court to create a child support department to receive, disburse, and record payments of child and spousal support. The commissioners court appoints the director of the department who serves at the pleasure of the court. The court is considering consolidating all of the child support operations under the office of the district clerk in order to more efficiently and effectively manage child support payments. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1585 authorizes the Harris County Commissioners Court to designate a county officer to create a child support office within the officer's department to receive, disburse, and record payments of restitution and child and spousal support. 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 152.1074, Human Resources Code, by amending Subsection (a), (c), (d), and (e) and adding Subsection (k), as follows: (a) Authorizes the Harris County Commissioners Court (court) to designate by order a county officer to create a child support office within the officer's department to receive, disburse, and record payments of restitution and child and spousal support made to the office under a court order. Authorizes the court to rescind the order designating the officer at any time. (c)-(e) Make conforming changes. (k) Requires the county officer to serve as the director of the child support department, if the court designates a county officer to create an office of child support within the county officer's department. Authorizes the county officer to hire additional employees subject to court approval. Requires the county officer to execute a bond with a solvent authorized surety company. Requires the bond to be payable to the county judge and conditioned on the county officer's faithful performance of duties and on the county officer's properly accounting for funds entrusted to the county officer. Requires the court to set the amount of the bond and to pay the premium for the bond out of the county general funds. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.