By Thompson                                     H.B. No. 1174

      75R5194 JMM-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the requirement that certain persons obligated to pay

 1-3     child support pay an additional amount for child care.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 154, Family Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 154.012 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 154.012.  ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR CHILD CARE.  (a)  If

 1-8     the court finds in a child support order that the obligee must

 1-9     obtain child care for the child because of the obligee's

1-10     employment, the court shall order the obligor to pay the obligee an

1-11     additional amount of support as provided by this section.

1-12           (b)  An obligor each month shall pay as an additional amount

1-13     of support:

1-14                 (1)  $200 for one child younger than two years of age

1-15     and $100 for each additional child of that age range;

1-16                 (2)  $150 for one child two years of age or older and

1-17     younger than six years of age and $75 for each additional child of

1-18     that age range; and

1-19                 (3)  $100 for one child six years of age or older and

1-20     younger than 12 years of age and $50 for each additional child of

1-21     that age range.

1-22           (c)  For the purposes of Subsection (b), the age of a child

1-23     is determined according to the child's age on the first day of the

1-24     month.

 2-1           (d)  A requirement to pay an amount under this section may be

 2-2     enforced, modified, or clarified in the same manner as any other

 2-3     requirement to pay child support under this title.

 2-4           (e)  This section does not limit the authority of the court

 2-5     to render or modify a requirement to pay additional support for

 2-6     child care that contains a provision for payment of an amount that

 2-7     is in addition to or inconsistent with the amount required by this

 2-8     section.

 2-9           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-10           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.