SRC-JEC S.B. 667 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 667
77R4643 JMM-DBy: Van de Putte
Jurisprudence
2/27/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a court is authorized to place a person who has failed to pay
child support or has been found in contempt of an order of the court on
community supervision instead of confinement in jail.  There are several
authorized requirements related to community supervision, including the
payment of all child support arrearages and counseling on financial
planning, conflict resolution, and alcohol or drug abuse. The community
supervision officer is paid from a fund of the county treasury.  As
proposed, S.B. 667 adds to the list of authorized requirements
participation in mediation or other services to alleviate conditions that
prevent the respondent from obeying the court's order, and the seeking of
employment assistance services.  It also, if the community supervision
officer is employed by the domestic relations office, requires that the
fees received be deposited in the general fund for the county or the office
fund established by the administering entity for the domestic relations
office. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 157.211, Family Code, to alter the terms and
conditions of the community supervision option to remove the option to
require that the respondent report to the corrections department officer
and permit the corrections department officer to visit the respondent at
the respondent's home or elsewhere.  Adds to the authorization the options
to require the respondent to seek employment assistance services offered by
the Texas Workforce Commission under Section 302.0035 (Employment
Assistance Program for Certain Parents), Labor Code, if appropriate, and to
require participation in mediation or other services to alleviate
conditions that prevent the respondent from obeying the court's order. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 157.213(c), Family Code, to require the court to
deposit the fees received under this subchapter: in the special fund of the
county treasury provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure to be used for
community supervision if the community supervision officer is employed by a
community supervision and corrections department; or, as determined by the
office's administering entity, in either the general fund for the county in
which the domestic relations office is located or the office fund
established by the administering entity for the domestic relations office
if the community supervision officer is employed by a domestic relations
office. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 157.214, Family Code, to authorize a domestic
relations office to file a verified motion alleging specifically that
certain conduct of the respondent constitutes a violation of the terms and
conditions of community supervision. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Section 302.0035, Labor Code,  to provide that a court
under Section 157.211, Family Code, can refer a person to the employment
assistance program. 

SECTION 5.   Effective date: September 1, 2001.
   Makes application of this Act prospective.