SRC-JJJ H.B. 3271 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 3271
76R10544 CMR-DBy: Goodman (Harris)
Jurisprudence
4/29/1999
Engrossed


DIGEST 

Currently, the Office of Court Administration administers a system of 36
court masters (masters) through a contract with the Office of the Attorney
General.  The masters hear child support cases in about 40 areas of the
state.  After the court hearing , however, most of these cases are not
monitored to prevent further child support delinquencies.  H.B. 3271 would
establish conditions regarding the coordination of child support collection
and parent location functions of certain state agencies. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 3271 establishes conditions regarding the coordination of
child support collection and parent location functions of certain state
agencies. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 231A, Family Code, by adding Section 231.011, as
follows: 

Sec. 231.011.  COOPERATION WITH DEPARTMENT OF PROTECTIVE AND REGULATORY
SERVICES.  Defines "department."  Sets forth requirements for the Title
IV-D agency to the extent possible, regarding certain aspects of child
support monitoring and collection. 
  
SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 231D, Family Code, by adding Section 231.310, as
follows: 

Sec. 231.310.  INTERAGENCY WORK GROUP.  Requires the Title IV-D agency to
establish a work group to facilitate the sharing of data and resources  to
locate parents and relatives of children served by the Title IV-D agency
and other health and human services agencies.  Sets forth representatives
of certain entities that make up the work group. Requires the commissioner
of human services or the commissioner's designee to serve as the work
group's presiding officer.  Requires the work group to evaluate the
procedures used by each agency in the work group to locate parents and
relatives of children served by the agencies and develop a mechanism to
ensure that each agency in the work group or any private contractor is able
to access information in the database of each other agency without paying a
fee.  Requires the work group to evaluate opportunities for using outside
contracting and coordinating efforts with other community resources.
Requires the Department  of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS) and
the Title IV-D agency, when possible, to use outside contractors and
community resources to locate parents in child protection  and child
support cases. 
 
SECTION 3.  Amends Chapter 264C, Family Code, by adding Section 264.208, as
follows: 

Sec. 264.208.  LOCATION OF PARENTS.  Requires DPRS to create a division
staffed by personnel trained in locating parents and relatives of children
throughout the state.  Requires  DPRS to use outside contractors and
volunteer resources to the extent feasible to perform its responsibilities. 
 SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.