By Van de Putte H.B. No. 1969
76R5349 CMR-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the collection of child support service fees by a
1-3 domestic relations office.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 203.005(a), Family Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 (a) The administering entity may authorize a domestic
1-8 relations office to assess and collect:
1-9 (1) an initial operations fee not to exceed $15 to be
1-10 paid to the domestic relations office on the filing of a suit;
1-11 (2) in a county that has a cooperative agreement with
1-12 the Title IV-D agency, an initial child support service fee not to
1-13 exceed $36 to be paid to the domestic relations office on the
1-14 filing of a suit;
1-15 (3) a reasonable application fee to be paid by an
1-16 applicant requesting services from the office;
1-17 (4) [(3)] a reasonable attorney's fee and court costs
1-18 incurred or ordered by the court;
1-19 (5) [(4)] a monthly child support service fee not to
1-20 exceed $3 to be paid by a managing conservator and possessory
1-21 conservator for whom the domestic relations office acts as a local
1-22 child support registry;
1-23 (6) [(5)] community supervision fees as provided by
1-24 Chapter 157 if community supervision officers are employed by the
2-1 domestic relations office; and
2-2 (7) [(6)] a reasonable fee for preparation of a
2-3 court-ordered social study.
2-4 SECTION 2. Section 110.006, Family Code, is amended to read
2-5 as follows:
2-6 Sec. 110.006. DOMESTIC RELATIONS OFFICE FEES [OPERATIONS
2-7 FEE]. If an administering entity of a domestic relations office
2-8 adopts an initial operations fee under Section 203.005(a)(1) or an
2-9 initial child support service fee under Section 203.005(a)(2), the
2-10 clerk of the court shall collect the fee at the time the suit is
2-11 filed and send the fee to the domestic relations office.
2-12 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-13 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-14 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-15 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-16 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-17 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.