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By:  Goodman (Senate Sponsor - Harris)                            H.B. No. 234
	(In the Senate - Received from the House March 19, 2003; 
March 26, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on 
Jurisprudence; April 24, 2003, reported favorably by the following 
vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 24, 2003, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the payment of support for a child after the child's 
18th birthday.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 154.002(a), Family Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	(a)  The [If the child is fully enrolled in an accredited 
secondary school in a program leading toward a high school diploma 
or enrolled in courses for joint high school and junior college 
credit pursuant to Section 130.008, Education Code, the] court may 
render an original support order, or modify an existing order,
providing child support past the 18th birthday of the child to be 
paid only if the child is:
		(1)  enrolled:                                                         
			(A)  under Chapter 25, Education Code, in an 
accredited secondary school in a program leading toward a high 
school diploma;
			(B)  under Section 130.008, Education Code, in 
courses for joint high school and junior college credit; or
			(C)  on a full-time basis in a private secondary 
school in a program leading toward a high school diploma; and
		(2)  complying with:                                                   
			(A)  the minimum attendance requirements of 
Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code; or
			(B)  the minimum attendance requirements imposed 
by the school in which the child is enrolled, if the child is 
enrolled in a private secondary school.
	SECTION 2.  Section 154.006(a), Family Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	(a)  Unless otherwise agreed in writing or expressly 
provided in the order or as provided by Subsection (b), the child 
support order terminates on:
		(1)  the marriage of the child;                                 
		(2)  the [,] removal of the child's disabilities for 
general purposes;
		(3)  the [, or] death of:                      
			(A)  the child; or                                             
			(B)  a parent ordered to pay child support; or                 
		(4)  a finding by a court that the child:                              
			(A)  is 18 years of age or older; and                                 
			(B)  has failed to comply with the enrollment or 
attendance requirements described by Section 154.002(a).
	SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                      
	(b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to a 
court order or portion of a decree that provides for the support of 
a child rendered or modified on or after the effective date of this 
Act.  An order or decree rendered or modified before the effective 
date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the 
order or decree was rendered or modified, and the former law is 
continued in effect for that purpose.



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