By Dutton                                             H.B. No. 1816
       74R6724 JMM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the enforcement of an order for the payment of
    1-3  attorney's fees by contempt in certain proceedings.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 3, Family Code, is amended by adding
    1-6  Section 3.655 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 3.655.  ATTORNEY'S FEES.  Notwithstanding any other
    1-8  provision of law, an award of attorney's fees in a proceeding under
    1-9  this chapter is not enforceable by contempt.
   1-10        SECTION 2.  Section 11.18, Family Code, is amended by adding
   1-11  Subsection (d) to read as follows:
   1-12        (d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an award of
   1-13  attorney's fees in a proceeding under this subtitle is not
   1-14  enforceable by contempt.
   1-15        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
   1-16  applies only to an award of attorney's fees made on or after that
   1-17  date.  An award of attorney's fees made before that date is
   1-18  governed by the law in effect at the time the award was made, and
   1-19  the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
   1-20        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-21  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-22  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-23  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-24  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.