1-1 By: Harris S.B. No. 1739
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1999; March 15, 1999, read
1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
1-4 April 22, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 22, 1999,
1-6 sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1739 By: Harris
1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-9 AN ACT
1-10 relating to income withholding for child support arrearages.
1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12 SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 158.003, Family Code, is
1-13 amended to read as follows:
1-14 (b) The additional amount to be withheld for arrearages
1-15 shall be an amount sufficient to discharge those arrearages [in not
1-16 more than two years or an additional 20 percent added to the amount
1-17 of the current monthly support order, whichever amount will result
1-18 in the arrearages being discharged] in the least amount of time.
1-19 SECTION 2. Section 158.004, Family Code, is amended to read
1-20 as follows:
1-21 Sec. 158.004. WITHHOLDING FOR ARREARAGES WHEN NO CURRENT
1-22 SUPPORT IS DUE. If current support is no longer owed, the court
1-23 shall order that income be withheld for arrearages, including
1-24 accrued interest as provided in Chapter 157, in an amount
1-25 sufficient to discharge those arrearages in the least amount of
1-26 time [not more than two years].
1-27 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-28 applies only to an order or portion of a decree providing for
1-29 income withholding for child support that is rendered on or after
1-30 that date. An order or decree rendered before the effective date
1-31 of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date that the
1-32 order or decree was rendered, and the former law is continued in
1-33 effect for that purpose.
1-34 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-35 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-36 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-37 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-38 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-39 * * * * *