By Solis                                        H.B. No. 2483

      75R6592 MCK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

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

 1-3     child support participate in job training.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 231, Family Code, is

 1-6     amended to conform to Section 5.02, Chapter 655, Acts of the 74th

 1-7     Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, by adding Section 231.115 to

 1-8     read as follows:

 1-9           Sec. 231.115.  UNEMPLOYED NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS.  (a)  The

1-10     Title IV-D agency shall refer to appropriate state and local

1-11     entities that assist unemployed noncustodial parents in gaining

1-12     employment any unemployed noncustodial parent who is in arrears in

1-13     court-ordered child support payments to a child who:

1-14                 (1)  receives financial assistance under Chapter 31,

1-15     Human Resources Code; or

1-16                 (2)  is otherwise eligible to receive financial

1-17     assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, and for whom the

1-18     Department of Protective and Regulatory Services is providing

1-19     substitute care.

1-20           (b)  A referral under Subsection (a) may include:

1-21                 (1)  skills training and job placement through:

1-22                       (A)  the Texas Workforce Commission; or

1-23                       (B)  the agency responsible for the food stamp

1-24     employment and training program (7 U.S.C. Section 2015(d));

 2-1                 (2)  referrals to education and literacy classes; and

 2-2                 (3)  counseling regarding:

 2-3                       (A)  substance abuse;

 2-4                       (B)  parenting skills;

 2-5                       (C)  life skills; and

 2-6                       (D)  mediation techniques.

 2-7           (c)  The Title IV-D agency shall require an unemployed

 2-8     noncustodial parent to complete the training, classes, or

 2-9     counseling the parent is referred to under this section.  The

2-10     agency shall suspend under Chapter 232  the license of a parent who

2-11     fails to comply with the requirements of this subsection.

2-12           SECTION 2.  Section 76.012, Human Resources Code, as added by

2-13     Section 5.02, Chapter 655, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular

2-14     Session, 1995, is repealed to conform to the transfer of Chapter

2-15     76, Human Resources Code, to the Family Code by Chapter 20, Acts of

2-16     the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995.

2-17           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-18           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.