BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1970

By: Jackson, Jim

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under federal law, each state establishes guidelines for child support award amounts that are regularly to ensure that the award amounts are appropriate. States may establish guidelines through legislative action, the court system, or a state child support agency.  In Texas, the legislature has assumed a role in setting the guidelines, with periodic review by the committees having oversight responsibility for family law issues.

H.B. 1970 assigns to the Title IV-D agency direct responsibility for undertaking a comprehensive review of the guidelines at least once every four years.  The Title IV-D agency shall submit to the appropriate committees of the legislature a report with findings and recommendations in the form of legislative proposals for any changes to the statutory guidelines and their application.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1970 amends the Family Code, in a provision relating to a report the Title IV-D agency is required to submit to the standing committees of each house of the legislature having jurisdiction over family law issues, to change the  requirements and due date of the report by requiring the Title IV-D agency, at least once every four years, to review the child support guidelines under state law as required by federal law and report the results of the review and any recommendations for changes to the guidelines or their manner of application to the applicable standing committees and by removing provisions setting out a designated use of the report by the committee, a report due date of not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, and the information required in the report.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.