By Thompson H.B. No. 522
75R3070 MCK-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to costs in certain family law cases.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 106.001, Family Code, is amended to read
1-5 as follows:
1-6 Sec. 106.001. COSTS. The court may award costs in [the same
1-7 manner as in other civil cases in] a suit or motion under this
1-8 title and in a habeas corpus proceeding.
1-9 SECTION 2. Section 106.002(a), Family Code, is amended to
1-10 read as follows:
1-11 (a) In a suit under this title [subtitle], the court may
1-12 order reasonable attorney's fees as costs and order the fees to be
1-13 paid directly to an attorney.
1-14 SECTION 3. Section 152.007(g), Family Code, is amended to
1-15 read as follows:
1-16 (g) If it appears to the court that it is clearly an
1-17 inappropriate forum, the court may require the party who commenced
1-18 the proceedings to pay, in addition to the costs of the proceedings
1-19 in this state, necessary travel and other expenses, including
1-20 attorney's fees, incurred by other parties or their witnesses.
1-21 [Payment is to be made to the clerk of the court for remittance to
1-22 the proper party.]
1-23 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and
1-24 applies to a pending suit affecting the parent-child relationship
2-1 without regard to whether the suit was commenced before, on, or
2-2 after the effective date of this Act.
2-3 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
2-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.