C.S.H.B. 2126 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 2126
By: Castro
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a registry of the court may accept child support payments only
by personal check, cashier's check, money order, and electronic funds
transfer.  A Harris county attorney's opinion indicated that child support
payments could not be made with credit cards, due to the current language
of the law that does not specify the use of credit cards.  C.S.H.B. 2126
will assist children in need of receiving payments and will improve
efficiency in processing child support payments, by authorizing a local
registry to accept payments made by credit card, debit card, or automatic
teller machine (ATM) card.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 154.241, Family Code, by adding Subsection (f)
to provide 
that a local registry may accept child support payments made by credit
card, debit card, or automatic teller machine card. 
  
SECTION 2.This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.



COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B.2126 modifies the original H.B.2126 by adding new language to
authorize a local registry to accept child support payments made by debit
card or ATM card.