| TO: | Honorable Todd Hunter, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB480 by Chisum (Relating to marriage education courses for certain couples filing for divorce on the grounds of insupportability.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Family Code relating to requiring crisis marriage education courses for certain couples filing for divorce on the grounds of insupportability. Persons taking the course would incur any fee charged for the course. The bill would require that the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) maintain an Internet website where individuals and organizations may electronically register with the commission to provide the courses and for the Executive Commissioner to notify each county clerk and district clerk about the website. HHSC indicates any cost to implement provisions of the bill would be minimal and can be absorbed within available resources.
The bill would require the clerk of the court in which a petition for dissolution of a marriage based upon insupportability is filed to give the petitioner information about the HHSC website along with other information. The bill would provide that courts hearing certain divorce petitions filed on the grounds of insupportability consider whether a petitioner has filed with the court a completion certificate for a crisis marriage education course. To the extent the bill would amend court procedures in family law cases, no significant increase in judicial workloads or fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The bill would take effect September 1, 2010.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 529 Health and Human Services Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, TP, TB, MB
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