| TO: | Honorable David Dewhurst, Lieutenant Governor, Senate |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1440 by Watson (Relating to orders and judgments rendered by associate judges in child support and child protection cases.), As Passed 2nd House |
The bill would amend the Family Code relating to orders and judgments rendered by associate judges in child support and protection cases. The bill would permit an associate judge's order to become the order or judgment without the referring court judge's signature if a request for a hearing before the referring court is not filed in a timely manner or the right is waived. No significant increase in the workload of the courts is anticipated.
The bill also would amend the Family Code relating to the investigation of child abuse and neglect. The Department of Family and Protective Services reports that most of the provisions are consistent with current casework practice and indicates that the additional step of filing reports with the court regarding utilization of each granted court order would impose additional workload, but would not have a significant fiscal impact.
The Office of Court Administration also indicates this provision of the bill would not have a significant fiscal impact to the state court system.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house. If the bill does not receive the votes required to pass, the bill would take effect
September 1, 2009.
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JOB, TP, MN, SD
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