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.