SRC-JLB H.B. 1833 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterH.B. 1833
By: Goodman (Harris)
Jurisprudence
5/21/2003
Committee Report (Amended)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Current Texas law authorizes an administering entity of a county domestic
relations office to allow and approve certain fees to be assessed and
collected by a county domestic relations office. 
H.B. 1833 allows a county domestic relations office to add an initial
filing fee, not to exceed $15, on the filing of a suit and to charge
reasonable fees for services offered and provides that these additional
fees for visitation services are a local county option. 

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 203.005(a), Family Code, to authorize the
administering entity to authorize a domestic relations office to assess
and collect certain fees. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 2003.

LIST OF COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

Committee Amendment No.  1:

On page 2, lines 5-9, strike original text and replace with "under
Sections 153.014 and 203.004 a reasonable fee to be paid to the domestic
relations office at the time of the visitation services are provided.".