By Dutton                                             H.B. No. 1271
         76R4732 JMM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the enforcement of an order for the payment of
 1-3     attorney's fees in certain proceedings.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 6, Family Code, is amended
 1-6     by adding Section 6.7085 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 6.7085.  ATTORNEY'S FEES.  Notwithstanding any other
 1-8     provision of law, an award of attorney's fees in a proceeding under
 1-9     this chapter is not enforceable by contempt.
1-10           SECTION 2.  Section 106.002, Family Code, is amended by
1-11     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
1-12           (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an award of
1-13     attorney's fees in a proceeding under this title is not enforceable
1-14     by contempt.
1-15           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-16     applies only to an award of attorney's fees made on or after that
1-17     date.  An award of attorney's fees made before the effective date
1-18     of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the award
1-19     was made, and the former law is continued in effect for that
1-20     purpose.
1-21           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.