By: Thompson of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Rodríguez) H.B. No. 558

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 15, 2019; April 16, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Health & Human Services; May 8, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 8, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to court-ordered support for a child with a disability.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 154.302, Family Code, is amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a court that orders support under this section for an adult child with a disability may designate a special needs trust and provide that the support may be paid directly to the trust for the benefit of the adult child. The court shall order that support payable to a special needs trust under this subsection be paid directly to the trust and may not order the support be paid to the state disbursement unit. This subsection does not apply in a Title IV-D case.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act constitutes a material and substantial change of circumstances under Section 156.401, Family Code, sufficient to warrant modification of a court order or a portion of a decree that provides for the support of a child rendered before the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

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