1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the authority of the attorney general to enter into

 1-3     agreements with other jurisdictions for the establishment of child

 1-4     support and child custody orders.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 231.002, Family Code, is amended by

 1-7     amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read as

 1-8     follows:

 1-9           (d)  Consistent with federal law and any international treaty

1-10     or convention to which the United States is a party and that has

1-11     been ratified by the United States Congress, the Title IV-D agency

1-12     may:

1-13                 (1)  on approval by and in cooperation with the

1-14     governor, pursue negotiations and enter into reciprocal

1-15     arrangements with the federal government, another state, or a

1-16     foreign country or a political subdivision of the federal

1-17     government, state, or foreign country to:

1-18                       (A)  establish and enforce child support

1-19     obligations; and

1-20                       (B)  establish mechanisms to enforce an order

1-21     providing for possession of or access to a child rendered under

1-22     Chapter 153;

1-23                 (2)  spend money appropriated to the agency for child

1-24     support enforcement to engage in international child support

 2-1     enforcement; and

 2-2                 (3)  spend other money appropriated to the agency

 2-3     necessary for the agency to conduct the agency's activities under

 2-4     Subdivision (1).

 2-5           (e) [(d)]  The Title IV-D agency may take any action with

 2-6     respect to execution, collection, and release of a judgment or lien

 2-7     for child support necessary to satisfy the judgment or lien.

 2-8           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-13     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-14     passage, and it is so enacted.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1880 was passed by the House on April

         8, 1997, by a non-record vote; that the House refused to concur in

         Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1880 on May 15, 1997, and requested

         the appointment of a conference committee to consider the

         differences between the two houses; and that the House adopted the

         conference committee report on H.B. No. 1880 on May 24, 1997, by a

         non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1880 was passed by the Senate, with

         amendments, on May 12, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays

         0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference

         committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and

         that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.

         1880 on May 24, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor