By Ellis                                        S.B. No. 1377

      75R4701 JMM-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the enforcement of child support obligations by the

 1-3     attorney general's office.

 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 by adding Sections 231.115 and 231.116 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 231.115.  INFORMATION ON INTERNET.   The Title IV-D

 1-8     agency shall place on the Internet for public access child support

 1-9     information to assist the public in child support matters,

1-10     including application forms,  child support collection in other

1-11     states, and profiles of certain  obligors who are in arrears in

1-12     paying child support.

1-13           Sec. 231.116.  OTHER METHODS OF DISSEMINATING PUBLIC

1-14     INFORMATION.  The Title IV-D agency shall use posters, the news

1-15     media, and other cost-effective methods to display photographs and

1-16     profiles of certain obligors who are in arrears in paying child

1-17     support.

1-18           SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 231, Family Code, is

1-19     amended by adding Sections 231.307 and 231.308 to read as follows:

1-20           Sec. 231.307.  PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF CERTAIN OBLIGORS.

1-21     (a)  The Title IV-D agency shall develop a program to identify

1-22     publicly certain child support obligors who are delinquent in the

1-23     payment of child support.  The program shall include the displaying

1-24     of photographs and profiles of obligors in public and private

 2-1     locations and by computer.

 2-2           (b)  The Title IV-D agency may not disclose information under

 2-3     this section that is by law required to remain confidential.

 2-4           Sec. 231.308.  REWARDS FOR INFORMATION.   (a) The Title IV-D

 2-5     agency may offer a reward to an individual who provides information

 2-6     to the agency that leads to the collection of child support owed by

 2-7     an obligor who is delinquent in paying support.

 2-8           (b)  The Title IV-D agency shall adopt rules providing for

 2-9     the amounts of rewards offered under this section and the

2-10     circumstances under which an individual providing information is

2-11     entitled to receive a reward.

2-12           (c)  A reward paid under this section shall be paid from the

2-13     child support retained collections account.

2-14           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-19     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-20     passage, and it is so enacted.