By:  Casteel                                                      H.B. No. 3225



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to mandatory jail time for certain child support obligors 
who fail or refuse to pay child support.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 157.164, Family Code, is amended to read 
as follows:     
	Sec. 157.165.  PROBATION OF CONTEMPT ORDER.  (a)  Except as 
provided by Subsection (b), the [The] court may place the 
respondent on community supervision and suspend commitment if the 
court fins that the respondent is in contempt of court for failure 
or refusal to obey an order rendered as provided in this title.
	(b)  If the court finds that the respondent is in contempt of 
court for failure or refusal to pay child support under an order 
rendered under this title and that the respondent has previously 
been found in contempt of court for failure or refusal to pay child 
support under an order rendered under this title, the court may 
order suspension of commitment of the respondent and place the 
respondent on community supervision only if the respondent has been 
confined in jail for at least 40 consecutive hours.
	SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only 
to a proceeding for enforcement of a child support order that is 
commenced on or after the effective date of this Act.  A proceeding 
for enforcement that is commenced before the effective date of this 
Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the proceeding was 
commenced, and the former law is continued in effect for that 
purpose.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.