1-1     By:  Wentworth                                        S.B. No. 1098

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 1997; March 12, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;

 1-4     April 9, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 7,

 1-5     Nays 0; April 9, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to exempting certain support payments from seizure.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 42.001, Property Code, is

1-11     amended to read as follows:

1-12           (b)  The following personal property is exempt from seizure

1-13     and is not included in the aggregate limitations prescribed by

1-14     Subsection (a):

1-15                 (1)  current wages for personal services, except for

1-16     the enforcement of court-ordered child support payments;

1-17                 (2)  professionally prescribed health aids of a debtor

1-18     or a dependent of a debtor; and

1-19                 (3)  alimony, support, or separate maintenance for the

1-20     support of the debtor and any dependent of the debtor.

1-21           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-22           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to

1-23     alimony, support, or separate maintenance for support of the debtor

1-24     and any dependent of the debtor received on or after September 1,

1-25     1997.

1-26           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-28     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-29     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-30     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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