Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. Line and page numbers may not match official copy. By Thompson H.B. No. 2987 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the requirement that certain child support payments be 1-3 forwarded by electronic funds transfer and to the collection of 1-4 certain fees. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Section 154.242(b), Family Code, is amended to 1-7 read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 154.242. Payment or Transfer of Child Support Payments 1-9 by Electronic Funds Transfer. 1-10 (a) A child support payment may be made by electronic funds 1-11 transfer to the Title IV-D agency or a local registry if the 1-12 registry agrees to accept electronic payment. 1-13 (b) A local registry may transmit child support payments to 1-14 the Title IV-D agency by electronic funds transfer if the Title 1-15 IV-D agency agrees to accept electronic payment. 1-16 (c) An obligor may make payments, with the approval of the 1-17 court entering the order, directly to the bank account of the 1-18 obligee by electronic transfer and provide verification of the 1-19 deposit to the local registry. 1-20 (d) A local registry in a county that makes deposits into 1-21 personal bank accounts by electronic funds transfer as of April 1, 1-22 1995, shall transmit a child support payment to an obligee by 1-23 electronic funds transfer if the obligee maintains a bank account. 1-24 (e) A local registry subject to Subsec. (d) of this section 2-1 which does not, after a request by an obligee, transmit child 2-2 support payments by electronic funds transfer after September 1, 2-3 1998, may not collect a fee from an applicant for services, child 2-4 support obligor or child support obligee as authorized by Sections 2-5 203.005(a)(1), 203.005(a)(2), or 203.005(a)(4) of the Family Code. 2-6 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 1998. 2-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.