LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 6, 2011

TO:	Honorable Chris Harris, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence
FROM:	John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB502 by West (Relating to determinations of paternity; creating an offense.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Family Code to relax the requirements for rescinding an Acknowledgement of Paternity, including removing the time limitation to do so.  The bill would create a new offense for "Falsification of Specimen," wherein a person could be charged with a third degree felony if the person in some way interfered with genetic evidence in a proceeding to adjudicate parentage.  To the extent the bill may resulting in an increase in the number of contested AOP rescissions, the fiscal implication to the state and the impact on court workloads statewide is not anticipated to be significant. The bill would take effect September 1, 2011.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council

LBB Staff:

JOB, JT, TB