By Reyna of Bexar                                      H.B. No. 443
         76R851 MCK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the enforcement of a child support order using a child
 1-3     support lien.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 231.002(e), Family Code, as relettered by
 1-6     Section 1, Chapter 874, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular
 1-7     Session, 1997, and amended by Section 68, Chapter 911, Acts of the
 1-8     75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, is amended to read as
 1-9     follows:
1-10           (e)  The Title IV-D agency may take the following
1-11     administrative actions with respect to the location of a parent,
1-12     the determination of parentage, and the establishment,
1-13     modification, and enforcement of child support and medical support
1-14     orders required by 42 U.S.C. Section 666(c), without obtaining an
1-15     order from any other judicial or administrative tribunal:
1-16                 (1)  issue an administrative subpoena, as provided by
1-17     Section 231.303, to obtain financial or other information;
1-18                 (2)  order genetic testing for parentage determination,
1-19     as provided by Chapter 233;
1-20                 (3)  order income withholding, as provided by Chapter
1-21     233, and issue an administrative writ of withholding, as provided
1-22     by Chapter 158; and
1-23                 (4)  take any action with respect to execution and [,]
1-24     collection[, and release] of a judgment [or lien] for child support
 2-1     necessary to  satisfy the judgment [or lien], as provided by
 2-2     Chapter 157.
 2-3           SECTION 2.  Section 231.002, Family Code, is amended by
 2-4     adding Subsection (h) to read as follows:
 2-5           (h)  In each Title IV-D case, the Title IV-D agency shall
 2-6     enforce the child support obligation by using the enforcement
 2-7     procedures for a child  support lien under Subchapter G, Chapter
 2-8     157, without obtaining an order from any other judicial or
 2-9     administrative tribunal.
2-10           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-15     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-16     passage, and it is so enacted.