SRC-BWC H.B. 596 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 596
By: Goodman (West, Royce)
Jurisprudence
5/11/2001
Engrossed


This analysis is based on the House Committee Report, which is the most
recent version available to the Senate Research Center. 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Numerous amendments to the Family Code have made it difficult to decipher
which standard to apply when modifying conservatorship.  H.B. 596 provides
a uniform standard for modification of conservatorship, as well as
providing penalties for conservators convicted of specified sexual
offenses. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION

H.B. 596 amends the Family Code to modify provisions relating to a
temporary order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.  

H.B. 596 authorizes the court to render appropriate orders to allocate
increased expenses on a fair and equitable basis, taking into account the
cause of the increased expenses and the best interest of the child if a
change in residence results in increased expenses for a party having
possession of or access to a child.  The bill provides that the payment of
increased expenses by the party whose residence is changed is rebuttably
presumed to be in the best interest of the child.  The bill authorizes the
court to render an order without regard to whether another change in the
terms and conditions for the possession of or access to the child is made
(Sec. 156.103). 

H.B. 596  provides that the conviction or deferred adjudication for an
offense involving sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse, or indecency with
a child is sufficient to justify a temporary order and modification of an
existing order that provides for the appointment of a conservator or
possession of or access to a child.  The bill provides that it is a Class B
misdemeanor if a person  files a  motion to modify an order or portion of a
decree based on the aforementioned grounds and the person knows that the
conservator has not been convicted or received deferred adjudication for an
offense of committing sexual abuse against or indecency with a child (Sec.
156.104). 

H.B. 596 amends provisions that authorize the court to modify an order
establishing conservatorship or possession and access to allow the
modification of a  portion of a decree (Sec. 156.101).  The bill makes
uniform references to a person who has the exclusive right to determine the
primary residence of the child in provisions relating to temporary orders
(Sec. 156.006, 156.101, 156.102, and 156.409). 

H.B. 596 repeals provisions relating to voluntary relinquishment,
modification from sole managing conservatorship to joint managing
conservatorship, statutory change of circumstance, modification of joint
managing conservatorship, and modification of possession of or access to a
child (SECTION 8). 

Effective date: September 1, 2001.