Child Support, Interim - 70th R.S. (1987)

Committee Members

Charges

• Study Texas law and procedure relating to the following matters:
  (1) access to state computer records to locate those persons who have failed to appear in court on enforcement action for nonpayment of child support;
  (2) revision of criminal nonsupport laws in response to court cases declaring the current law unconstitutional;
  (3) study the possible implementation of a "friend of the court" system for the monitoring of child support as currently used in Michigan and in at least one district court in Dallas, Texas; special emphasis should be given to possible coordination of such effort through local domestic relations offices;
  (4) study regarding the opening of satellite child collection offices in major metropolitan counties and also the operation of child support collection offices to provide for evening hours and weekend hours for the payment of child support;
  (5) establishing of a toll-free hot line for employers so that questions may be answered regarding wage withholding;
  (6) comparison of child support guidelines in this state with those of the other 49 states to see that the Texas Child Support Guidelines reflect the current thinking in other jurisdictions;
  (7) adoption of standardized forms for enforcement actions for the collection of support including petitions for enforcement, writs of commitment, writs of attachment and capias such as are now prepared by the attorney general for wage witholding and writs of income withholding;
  (8) any other matters that would assist in the collection of child support in this state; and
  (9) changes in law to provide for financial support from divorced parents to assist in the education of children beyond high school and especially for young persons attending college in this state.

Notes

HCR 18, 70th Legislature, 2nd Called Session directed the Senate Jurisprudence Committee and the House Committee on Judiciary to undertake a joint study of laws related to child support. The committees met as the House/Senate Joint Committee on Child Support.

Mike Toomey (Co-Chair) resigned 1/6/1988. Harold Dutton named Chair of the House Judiciary Committee February 1988. Dalton Smith (Member) appointed June 1, 1988. (Letter from Speaker of the House Gibson D. (Gib) Lewis, June 1, 1988. Press Release, Speaker of the House Gibson D. (Gib) Lewis, February 12, 1988. See House Speaker Lewis Appointments, L1801.1 P926a 1985-92 3.)

J.E. "Buster" Brown (Co-chair) was appointed on 6/21/1988 to serve as the acting chair of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee during the 1988 interim. (Letters from William P. Hobby, Lieutenant Governor of Texas, June 21, 1988. See Lieutenant Governor Hobby Appointments, L1803.1 P926la 1987-90 3.)

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