1-1     By:  West (Senate Sponsor - Duncan)                    H.B. No. 336
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2001;
 1-3     May 11, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Jurisprudence; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to certain requirements in connection with the expenditure
 1-9     of child support payments.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 154, Family Code, is
1-12     amended by adding Section 154.0041 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 154.0041.  ACCOUNTING OF CHILD SUPPORT EXPENDITURES.
1-14     (a)  On the request of a party to a child support order and for
1-15     good cause shown, the court may order an accounting of the
1-16     expenditure of child support payments if the total child support
1-17     obligation exceeds $750 per month.  The accounting required by the
1-18     court order may not include a duty to account for money deposited
1-19     in the account before the 12 months preceding the date of the
1-20     order.
1-21           (b)  If, after a hearing, the court finds that child support
1-22     payments are not being used for the benefit of the child, the court
1-23     may order the obligee to open a child support account with a
1-24     financial institution solely for the receipt and use of child
1-25     support payments.
1-26           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-27           (b)  If the Title IV-D agency implements an electronic
1-28     benefits transfer system under Section 234.007, Family Code, as
1-29     added by Section 6, Chapter 1072, Acts of the 76th Legislature,
1-30     Regular Session, 1999, a Title IV-D case in which an electronic
1-31     benefits transfer is used is exempt from Section 154.0041, Family
1-32     Code, as added by this Act.
1-33                                  * * * * *