1-1     By:  Goodman (Senate Sponsor - Harris)                 H.B. No. 594
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House March 28, 2001;
 1-3     March 29, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Jurisprudence; May 1, 2001, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 1, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to findings of fact and conclusions of law by a court in a
 1-9     suit for dissolution of a marriage.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 6, Family Code, is amended
1-12     by adding Section 6.711 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 6.711.  FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW.  (a)
1-14     In a suit for dissolution of a marriage in which the court has
1-15     rendered a judgment dividing the estate of the parties, on request
1-16     by a party, the court shall state in writing its findings of fact
1-17     and conclusions of law concerning:
1-18                 (1)  the characterization of each party's assets,
1-19     liabilities, claims, and offsets on which disputed evidence has
1-20     been presented; and
1-21                 (2)  the value or amount of the community estate's
1-22     assets, liabilities, claims, and offsets on which disputed evidence
1-23     has been presented.
1-24           (b)  A request for findings of fact and conclusions of law
1-25     under this section must conform to the Texas Rules of Civil
1-26     Procedure.
1-27           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
1-28     applies to a suit for dissolution of a marriage pending on that
1-29     date or filed on or after that date.
1-30                                  * * * * *