HBA-LCA S.B. 391 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 391 By: Harris Juvenile Justice and Family Issues 4-22-1999 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, provisions regarding the enforcement of a child support order do not permit, without authorization, a domestic relations officer or certain friends of the court to obtain records from the National Directory of New Hires or the state case registry. S.B. 391 amends Chapters 203 and 233, Family Code (Domestic Relations Offices; Sharing Information in State Case Registry), to authorize a domestic relations office to obtain information from that directory, and to authorize both a domestic relations office and certain friends of the court to obtain information from the state case registry. 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 Section 203.004(a), Family Code, to authorize a domestic relations office to provide an informal forum for negotiating an agreed repayment schedule for delinquent child support as an alternative to filing suit to enforce a court order for child support under Subdivision (3), which permits a domestic relations office to file suit to establish paternity, enforce an order for child support or possession of or access to a child, or modify or clarify an existing order. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Amends Section 203.007, Family Code, by amending Subsections (a), (c), and (f)-(j), and adding Subsections (d) and (e), as follows: (a) Makes a conforming change. (c) Makes a nonsubstantive change. (d) Entitles a domestic relations office, to the extent provided by federal law, to obtain records from the National Directory of New Hires, established under 42 U.S.C., Section 653(i), as amended, that relate to a person described by Subsection (a), who has been ordered to pay child support, been designated possessory or managing conservator or father of a child, or executed a statement of paternity. Provides that those records may include the name, address, and telephone number of the person's employer, information provided by the person on a W-4 form, and information provided by the person's employer on a Title IV-D form. (e) Entitles a domestic relations office, to the extent provided by federal law, to obtain from the state case registry (registry) records that relate to a person described by Subsection (a), including records that relate to the addresses and social security number of the person, the name, address, and telephone number of the person's employer. the location and value of real and personal property owned by the person, and the name and address of each financial institution with which the person maintains an account and the account number for each account. (f) Created from existing text. (g) Redesignated from existing Subsection (e). Makes a nonsubstantive change. (h)-(j) Redesignated from existing Subsections (f)-(h), respectively. SECTION 3. Amends Section 233.001, Family Code, by amending Subsections (a) and (b), and adding Subsection (c), as follows: Sec. 233.001. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. (a) Requires the registry to provide information to a domestic relations office or friend of the court regarding certain cases. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. (b) Makes conforming changes. (c) Requires the registry, to the extent provided by federal law, to provide information about the noncustodial parent described by Subsection (b) to a domestic relations office or friend of the court who makes a request for information under Subsection (a). SECTION 4. Amends Section 233.03, Family Code, as added by Chapter 420, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, as follows Sec. 233.003. APPLICATION FOR SERVICES NOT REQUIRED. Prohibits the Title IVD agency from requiring an application for service to release information under Section 233.001. SECTION 5. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Amendment No. 1: Amends S.B. 391 by deleting SECTION 3 (amending Section 233.001, (Request for Information), Family Code). Redesignates SECTION 4 and SECTION 5 of the original to SECTION 3 and SECTION 4, respectively.