By Thompson                                      H.B. No. 410

      75R2678 JMM-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the establishment of a statewide registry of child

 1-3     support and custody orders.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  The heading for Chapter 194, Health and Safety

 1-6     Code, is amended to read as follows:

 1-7                  CHAPTER 194.  RECORDS OF MARRIAGE, [AND]

 1-8              DIVORCE, AND CHILD SUPPORT AND CUSTODY [RECORDS]

 1-9           SECTION 2.  Chapter 194, Health and Safety Code, is amended

1-10     by adding Section 194.0025 to read as follows:

1-11           Sec. 194.0025.  REPORT OF CHILD SUPPORT AND CUSTODY ORDERS.

1-12     (a)  The county clerk shall file with the bureau of vital

1-13     statistics a copy of each order that provides for the

1-14     conservatorship, support, or possession of and access to a child

1-15     that is rendered by a court in the county.  The clerk shall file

1-16     the copy not later than the 90th day after the date the order was

1-17     rendered.  The clerk may collect a $1 fee as costs in the suit in

1-18     which the order was rendered for filing with the bureau of vital

1-19     statistics the copy of an order or any subsequent information under

1-20     this section.

1-21           (b)  The county clerk shall file under this section any

1-22     change in information received by the clerk under Section 105.006,

1-23     Family Code, and any modification of an order under Chapter 156,

1-24     Family Code.  The county clerk may not report information from an

 2-1     order under this section that the court orders not to be disclosed

 2-2     under Section 105.006(c), Family Code.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  Section 194.003, Health and Safety Code, is

 2-4     amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

 2-5           (c)  The bureau of vital statistics shall maintain a

 2-6     statewide alphabetical index, under the name of the child, of each

 2-7     order filed with the bureau that provides for the conservatorship,

 2-8     support, or possession of and access to a child.

 2-9           SECTION 4.  Section 194.004(a), Health and Safety Code, is

2-10     amended to read as follows:

2-11           (a)  The bureau of vital statistics shall furnish on request

2-12     any information it has on record relating to:

2-13                 (1)  any marriage, divorce, or annulment of marriage;

2-14     or

2-15                 (2)  an order that provides for the conservatorship,

2-16     support, or possession of and access to a child.

2-17           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

2-18     applies only to an order providing for the conservatorship,

2-19     support, or possession of and access to a child that is rendered on

2-20     or after that date.  An order rendered before the effective date of

2-21     this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the order was

2-22     rendered, and the former law is continued in effect for that

2-23     purpose.

2-24           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.