BILL ANALYSIS
By: Harris
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Each state, as a condition of receiving funding for its child support enforcement program and its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, is required to enact verbatim the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA). UIFSA is a uniform act dealing with interstate child support establishment and enforcement that was promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and endorsed by the American Bar Association. The changes enacted by the 78th Legislature inadvertently omitted Section 316(j) of UIFSA, which is codified as Section 159.316, Family Code.
S.B.1151 amends existing Section 159.316, Family Code (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act), making the chapter correspond exactly to UIFSA as a required condition of receiving federal funding for said programs.
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.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 159.316, Family Code, by adding Subsection (j), to provide that a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, certified as a true copy, is admissible to establish parentage of a child.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.