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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.