HBA-BSM H.B. 2638 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2638
By: George
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
4/8/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Historically, the Dallas County Child Support Office (office) was
responsible for receiving and distributing child support payments ordered
by the family district courts.  In recent years, the office has taken  on
the role of monitoring and assisting custodial parents in the process of
obtaining their child support and reporting this information to the
district court and commissioners court.  The Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 now requires each state to
operate a state disbursement unit to receive and disburse child support
payments.  House Bill 2638 authorizes the Dallas County Child Support
Office to collect specified fees for monitoring spousal maintenance or
child support payments in Dallas County. 

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 2638 amends the Human Resources Code to include the duty of
monitoring support payments as a duty of  the Texas Department of Human
Services (department) for payments that are required by court order to be
made to the department.  The bill also requires the county courts
administrator to collect a monthly fee not to exceed $3 for the monitoring
of spousal or child support payments.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.