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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to consideration of the financial resources of each |
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parent of a child in determining the amount of required periodic |
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child support payments. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 154.122, Family Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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Sec. 154.122. APPLICATION OF GUIDELINES REBUTTABLY |
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PRESUMED TO BE IN BEST INTEREST OF CHILD. (a) Subject to Subsection |
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(b), the [The] amount of a periodic child support payment |
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established by the child support guidelines in effect in this state |
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at the time of the hearing is presumed to be reasonable, and an |
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order of support conforming to the guidelines is presumed to be in |
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the best interest of the child. |
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(b) Before entering an order of support conforming to the |
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guidelines, a [A] court must [may] determine whether [that] the |
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application of the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate |
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under the circumstances. In making the determination, a court |
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shall consider the financial resources available to each parent of |
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the child and each other relevant factor, including the factors |
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specified by Section 154.123(b). |
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SECTION 2. Section 154.122, Family Code, as amended by this |
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Act, applies only to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship |
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that is commenced on or after the effective date of this Act. A suit |
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affecting the parent-child relationship that is commenced before |
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the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on |
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the date the suit was filed, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |