HBA-CBW H.B. 873 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 873 By: Dutton Juvenile Justice & Family Issues 3/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, settlement of disputes relating to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship is encouraged. However, even with the encouragement of such settlements and the implementation of guidelines for child support payment, parties have not been sufficiently moved toward settlement. House Bill 873 provides that a party to a lawsuit affecting the parent-child relationship who rejects a settlement offer may be awarded attorney's fees incurred after the date the settlement offer is made only if the court order finally rendered is more favorable to the party than the settlement offer. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 873 amends the Family Code to authorize a party to a suit for modification of an order that provides for the conservatorship, support, or possession of and access to a child who rejects a settlement offer to be awarded attorney's fees incurred after the date the offer of settlement is made only if the court order finally rendered is more favorable to the party than the offer of settlement. The bill authorizes a party to a suit for modification to serve on another party a settlement offer. The bill provides that a settlement offer must be in writing, state that it is a settlement offer, offer to settle a claim as specified in the offer, and offer to allow an order to be rendered in accordance with the terms of the offer. The bill provides that to recover attorney's fees a party must be represented by an attorney. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.