88R7531 AMF-D
 
  By: Jones of Harris H.B. No. 1695
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the enforcement of an order to pay child support by
  contempt.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 157.162, Family Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
         (d)  The court may not find a respondent in contempt of court
  for failure to pay child support if the respondent appears at the
  hearing with:
               (1)  a copy of the payment record or other evidence
  satisfactory to the court showing that the respondent is current in
  the payment of child support as ordered by the court; and
               (2)  evidence satisfactory to the court showing that
  the respondent's failure to make timely payments was due to an error
  made by a third party or other circumstances outside the
  respondent's control.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a hearing to enforce an order in a suit affecting the
  parent-child relationship that commences on or after the effective
  date of this Act.  A hearing that commences before the effective
  date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the
  hearing commenced, and the former law is continued in effect for
  that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.