PMWJ H.B. 1880 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
H.B. 1880
By: Thompson
3-26-97
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND 

 In the last 15 years, federal laws, international treaties and state
legislation have provided numerous tools to enforce child support, custody
and visitation rights.  Still, parents and relatives who cannot abide by
court orders too often resort to extrajudicial child abduction, imposing
ruinous emotional damage upon the abducted children and ruinous financial
damage upon the legal custodians and conservators who fight back.  New
state laws and services can ease the financial and emotional  burdens
placed upon parents and their abducted children, speeding the return of
children and deterring future abductors.  The Judicial Affairs Committee,
in the interim, studied parental kidnapping and made a recommendation,
suggested by the Attorney General's office, which would require some time
to arrange the diplomatic negotiations and passage of corresponding
statutes to implement, to allow the Attorney General's office to negotiate
with other nations regarding the enforcement of child support and custody
orders. 


PURPOSE

 The purpose of this bill is to allow the Attorney General's office to
pursue negotiations for reciprocal agreements with other nations and
jurisdictions regarding the enforcement of child support and custody
orders. 


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 Section 231.002(a), Family Code, creating a new
subsection (5) which allows the Attorney General's office to pursue
negotiations and enter into agreements with other nations or their
political subdivisions to provide for the international establishment and
enforcement of child support and child custody orders. 

 SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.  Effective date.