BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1227
87R80 MM-D	By: Leman et al. (Zaffirini)
	State Affairs
	5/7/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

When a child is placed in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) there often is an existing court order for the financial support of the child. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) should be notified of the existence of these orders, so that the support payments may be properly routed and received. Relatedly, there are concerns about both the lack of an established deadline for OAG notification and the undue financial burden often placed on the family caring for the child when the payments are not received in a timely manner. H.B. 1227 would address these issues and help to ensure that families receive this financial support in a timely manner by requiring OAG to be notified by a specified deadline of a court order that modifies an existing order for the support of a child in DFPS conservatorship to require that the payments be made to DFPS.

H.B. 1227 amends current law relating to certain procedures regarding court-ordered financial support for a child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 154.001, Family Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1), as follows:

(b) Makes nonsubstantive changes to this subsection.

(b-1) Requires the court, in a proceeding described by Subsection (b) (relating to the court ordering parents to make payments for the support of a child in certain circumstances) in which the court renders an order modifying an existing order for the� support of the child to require that the payments be made to the Department of Family and Protective Services, to provide notice of the order to the Office of the Attorney General not later than the 10th day after the date the order is rendered.

SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.