SRC-JBJ S.B. 886 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 886
76R8243 MCK-DBy: Harris
Jurisprudence
3/17/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, domestic relations offices and other friends of the court
programs handle child support cases in lieu of the attorney general's
office.  The domestic relations office collects fees for noncompliance
orders.  However, because of these offices' largely successful efforts to
monitor cases, noncompliance rates are relatively low.  The resultant fees
do not compensate for the costs of operating these offices, and counties
are forced to subsidize the offices' operations.  Charging the managing and
possessory conservators a fee would offset the operating cost of the
domestic relations offices.  S.B. 886 would authorize a court to charge a
$5 fee per month to the managing conservator and the possessory
conservator.   

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 886 authorizes a court to charge a $5 monthly fee to the
managing conservator and the possessory conservator in child support cases.

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 202, Family Code, by adding Section 202.006, as
follows: 

Sec. 202.006.  FEES.  Authorizes a court to permit a friend of the court to
assess and collect a monthly monitoring fee not to exceed $5 to be paid by
the managing conservator and possessory conservator.  Requires the friend
of the court to collect the fee.  Requires the friend of the court to
deposit the fee in certain funds, if the friend is a domestic relations
office.  Requires all other friends of the court to deliver the fee to the
county treasurer.  Requires the county treasurer to deposit the fees in the
friend of the court fund.  Requires the administering entity to use the
funds received under this section to provide services under this chapter,
if the friend of the court is a domestic relations office.  Requires the
county's local administrative district judge, for all other friends of the
court, to administer the friend of the court fund to assist in providing
friend of the court services.  

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.