TO: | Honorable Joe Straus, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives |
FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
IN RE: | HB906 by Thompson (Relating to appointments made in and the appeal of certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship.), As Passed 2nd House |
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Under the bill, once a parent has been declared indigent by a court in a suit to terminate a parent-child relationship, the parent is presumed to remain indigent throughout the court proceedings unless the court determines otherwise. An attorney ad litem appointed in such a case shall continue to serve in that role until the suit is dismissed, all appeals have been exhausted, or when the attorney is relieved of his/her duties, whichever is earliest. Though the proposed standard meets the current practice in most areas, it may lengthen the appointment in some counties and thus may increase county-paid attorney fees.
Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of
|
LBB Staff: | JOB, TB, JT
|