MPA C.S.H.B. 624 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 624 By: Reyna, Arthur Juvenile Justice and Family Issues 3/4/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE All Texas counties are required to establish local registries to receive and disburse child support payments and maintain official records of those payments. Some counties have also established domestic relations offices that collect and disburse funds and are authorized to enforce orders against persons owing child support payments. Currently only counties with a population of 1,800,000 or more may contract with private entities for the collection of child support payments. C.S.H.B. 624 removes the population restriction and allows counties to contract with private entities to assist in the collection of child support. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 153, Human Resources Code, by removing the population restriction, transferring it to Title 5, Family Code, and redesignating it as Chapter 204. Deletes reference to the definition of "local registry" in Section 101.018 of the Family Code, and the legal basis for state case registry as set forth in Chapter 231, Title IV-D, Family Code, 42 U.S.C. Section 654a, both having to do with agencies that receive, distribute, and maintain records on child support payments. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. Redesignates existing Sections 153.001-153.005 to Sections 204.001-204.005 respectively. SECTION 2.Effective date: September 1, 1999. Provides that the application of this Act does not affect a contract entered into under Chapter 153, Human Resources Code, or an act taken under the contract. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE SECTION 1. C.S.H.B. 624 differs from the original by deleting the population requirement for applicability of this chapter, and makes conforming changes.