HBA-MSH, SEP H.B. 730 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 730 By: Gutierrez County Affairs 2/19/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Nonprofit family violence prevention organizations in the public and private sectors provide shelter and services to victims of abuse and family violence. However, there is concern regarding whether these organizations have adequate resources to provide services in all areas and to all victims of family violence. House Bill 730 authorizes the commissioners court of a county to adopt a family violence prevention fee and allocate the resulting revenue to the county family violence prevention account. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 730 amends the Government Code to authorize the county commissioners court to adopt a family violence prevention fee not to exceed $15. The district clerk is required to collect the fee at the time a suit for dissolution of a marriage is filed. The bill requires the district clerk to pay the fee to the appropriate officer of the county in which the suit is filed for deposit in the county treasury to the credit of the family violence prevention account. The bill authorizes the commissioners court to only fund or assist persons providing shelter or services to victims of family violence. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.