Bill Text: TX SB286 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to suits affecting the parent-child relationship and child support, including the payment of spousal maintenance by an obligor ordered to pay child support and the disclaimer of a property interest by a child support obligor.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/21 [SB286 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB286-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to suits affecting the parent-child relationship and child support, including the payment of spousal maintenance by an obligor ordered to pay child support and the disclaimer of a property interest by a child support obligor.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/21 [SB286 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB286-Introduced.html
87R6284 EAS-F | ||
By: West | S.B. No. 286 |
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relating to suits affecting the parent-child relationship and the | |||||||||||
calculation and enforcement of child support. | |||||||||||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | |||||||||||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 8, Family Code, is amended | |||||||||||
by adding Section 8.062 to read as follows: | |||||||||||
Sec. 8.062. PLACE OF PAYMENT. If an obligor is ordered to | |||||||||||
pay an obligee maintenance under this chapter and child support | |||||||||||
under Chapter 154, the court shall order the payment of maintenance | |||||||||||
to the state disbursement unit as provided by Chapter 234. | |||||||||||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 154, Family Code, is | |||||||||||
amended by adding Section 154.0655 to read as follows: | |||||||||||
Sec. 154.0655. IMPUTATION OF INCOME. (a) In this section, | |||||||||||
"resources" has the meaning assigned by Section 154.062(b). | |||||||||||
(b) To the extent possible, the court shall rely on evidence | |||||||||||
of a party's resources when applying the support guidelines. | |||||||||||
(c) In the absence of evidence of a party's resources, the | |||||||||||
court, when applying Section 154.066 or 154.068, shall consider | |||||||||||
relevant background circumstances regarding the obligor, | |||||||||||
including: | |||||||||||
(1) the obligor's: | |||||||||||
(A) assets; | |||||||||||
(B) residence; | |||||||||||
(C) employment; | |||||||||||
(D) earnings history; | |||||||||||
(E) job skills; | |||||||||||
(F) educational attainment; | |||||||||||
(G) literacy; | |||||||||||
(H) age; | |||||||||||
(I) health; | |||||||||||
(J) criminal history; | |||||||||||
(K) barriers to employment; and | |||||||||||
(L) record of seeking work; | |||||||||||
(2) job opportunities in the obligor's community; | |||||||||||
(3) the prevailing wage in the obligor's community; | |||||||||||
and | |||||||||||
(4) whether there are employers willing to hire the | |||||||||||
obligor. | |||||||||||
SECTION 3. Section 154.066, Family Code, is amended by | |||||||||||
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: | |||||||||||
(c) The court may not consider incarceration as intentional | |||||||||||
unemployment or underemployment when establishing or modifying a | |||||||||||
support order. | |||||||||||
SECTION 4. Section 154.125, Family Code, is amended to read | |||||||||||
as follows: | |||||||||||
Sec. 154.125. APPLICATION OF GUIDELINES TO NET RESOURCES. | |||||||||||
(a) The guidelines for the support of a child in this section are | |||||||||||
specifically designed to apply to situations in which the obligor's | |||||||||||
monthly net resources are not greater than the maximum amount of net | |||||||||||
resources to which the statutory guidelines are applicable, as most | |||||||||||
recently published by the Title IV-D agency in the Texas Register | |||||||||||
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(a-1) The [ |
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adjusted every six years as necessary to reflect inflation. The | |||||||||||
Title IV-D agency shall compute the adjusted amount, to take effect | |||||||||||
beginning September 1 of the year of the adjustment, based on the | |||||||||||
percentage change in the consumer price index during the 72-month | |||||||||||
period preceding March 1 of the year of the adjustment, as rounded | |||||||||||
to the nearest $50 increment. The Title IV-D agency shall publish | |||||||||||
the adjusted amount in the Texas Register before September 1 of the | |||||||||||
year in which the adjustment takes effect. For purposes of this | |||||||||||
subsection, "consumer price index" has the meaning assigned by | |||||||||||
Section 341.201, Finance Code. | |||||||||||
(b) If the obligor's monthly net resources are not greater | |||||||||||
than the amount described [ |
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obligor's monthly net resources are equal to or greater than the | |||||||||||
amount described by Subsection (c), the court shall presumptively | |||||||||||
apply the following schedule in rendering the child support order: | |||||||||||
CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES | |||||||||||
BASED ON THE MONTHLY NET RESOURCES OF THE OBLIGOR | |||||||||||
1 child 20% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
2 children 25% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
3 children 30% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
4 children 35% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
5 children 40% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
6+ children Not less than the amount for 5 children | |||||||||||
(c) If the obligor's monthly net resources are less than | |||||||||||
$1,000, the court shall presumptively apply the following schedule | |||||||||||
in rendering the child support order: | |||||||||||
LOW-INCOME CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES | |||||||||||
BASED ON THE MONTHLY NET RESOURCES OF THE OBLIGOR | |||||||||||
1 child 15% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
2 children 20% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
3 children 25% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
4 children 30% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
5 children 35% of Obligor's Net Resources | |||||||||||
6+ children Not less than the amount for 5 children | |||||||||||
SECTION 5. Section 154.129, Family Code, is amended to read | |||||||||||
as follows: | |||||||||||
Sec. 154.129. ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF COMPUTING SUPPORT FOR | |||||||||||
CHILDREN IN MORE THAN ONE HOUSEHOLD. (a) If the obligor's monthly | |||||||||||
net resources are not greater than the amount described by Section | |||||||||||
154.125(a) and if the obligor's monthly net resources are equal to | |||||||||||
or greater than the amount described by Section 154.125(c), in [ |
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lieu of performing the computation under the preceding section, the | |||||||||||
court may determine the child support amount for the children | |||||||||||
before the court by applying the percentages in the table below to | |||||||||||
the obligor's net resources: | |||||||||||
MULTIPLE FAMILY ADJUSTED GUIDELINES | |||||||||||
(% OF NET RESOURCES) | |||||||||||
Number of children before the court | |||||||||||
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(b) If the obligor's monthly net resources are less than the | |||||||||||
amount described by Section 154.125(c), in lieu of performing the | |||||||||||
computation under the preceding section, the court may determine | |||||||||||
the child support amount for the children before the court by | |||||||||||
applying the percentages in the table below to the obligor's net | |||||||||||
resources: | |||||||||||
LOW-INCOME MULTIPLE FAMILY ADJUSTED GUIDELINES | |||||||||||
(% OF NET RESOURCES) | |||||||||||
Number of children before the court | |||||||||||
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SECTION 6. Section 156.401, Family Code, is amended by | |||||||||||
adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: | |||||||||||
(c-1) Incarceration of a child support obligor in a local, | |||||||||||
state, or federal jail or prison for a period exceeding 180 days is | |||||||||||
a material and substantial change of circumstances for the purposes | |||||||||||
of this section. | |||||||||||
SECTION 7. Section 157.005(b), Family Code, is amended to | |||||||||||
read as follows: | |||||||||||
(b) The court retains jurisdiction to confirm the total | |||||||||||
amount of child support, medical support, and dental support | |||||||||||
arrearages and render [ |
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past-due child support, medical support, and dental support, as | |||||||||||
provided by Section 157.263, if a motion for enforcement requesting | |||||||||||
a [ |
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anniversary after the date: | |||||||||||
(1) the child becomes an adult; or | |||||||||||
(2) on which the child support obligation terminates | |||||||||||
under the child support order or by operation of law. | |||||||||||
SECTION 8. Section 157.263, Family Code, is amended by | |||||||||||
amending Subsections (a), (b), and (b-1) and adding Subsections | |||||||||||
(b-2) and (b-3) to read as follows: | |||||||||||
(a) If a motion for enforcement of child support requests a | |||||||||||
money judgment for arrearages, the court shall confirm the amount | |||||||||||
of arrearages and render [ |
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follows: | |||||||||||
(1) a cumulative money judgment for the amount of | |||||||||||
child support owed under Subsection (b); | |||||||||||
(2) a cumulative money judgment for the amount of | |||||||||||
medical support owed under Subsection (b-1); and | |||||||||||
(3) a cumulative money judgment for the amount of | |||||||||||
dental support owed under Subsection (b-2) [ |
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(b) A cumulative money judgment for the amount of child | |||||||||||
support owed includes: | |||||||||||
(1) unpaid child support not previously confirmed; | |||||||||||
(2) the balance owed on previously confirmed child | |||||||||||
support arrearages or lump sum or retroactive child support | |||||||||||
judgments; | |||||||||||
(3) interest on the child support arrearages; and | |||||||||||
(4) a statement that it is a cumulative judgment for | |||||||||||
the amount of child support owed. | |||||||||||
(b-1) A cumulative money judgment for the amount of medical | |||||||||||
support owed includes: | |||||||||||
(1) unpaid medical support not previously confirmed; | |||||||||||
(2) the balance owed on previously confirmed medical | |||||||||||
support arrearages or lump sum or retroactive medical support | |||||||||||
judgments; | |||||||||||
(3) interest on the medical support arrearages; and | |||||||||||
(4) a statement that it is a cumulative judgment for | |||||||||||
the amount of medical support owed. | |||||||||||
(b-2) A cumulative money judgment for the amount of dental | |||||||||||
support owed includes: | |||||||||||
(1) unpaid dental support not previously confirmed; | |||||||||||
(2) the balance owed on previously confirmed dental | |||||||||||
support arrearages or lump sum or retroactive dental support | |||||||||||
judgments; | |||||||||||
(3) interest on the dental support arrearages; and | |||||||||||
(4) a statement that it is a cumulative judgment for | |||||||||||
the amount of dental support owed. | |||||||||||
(b-3) In rendering a money judgment under this section, the | |||||||||||
court may not reduce or modify the amount of child support, medical | |||||||||||
support, or dental support arrearages but, in confirming the amount | |||||||||||
of arrearages, may allow a counterclaim or offset as provided by | |||||||||||
this title. | |||||||||||
SECTION 9. Section 159.605(b), Family Code, is amended to | |||||||||||
read as follows: | |||||||||||
(b) A notice must inform the nonregistering party: | |||||||||||
(1) that a registered order is enforceable as of the | |||||||||||
date of registration in the same manner as an order issued by a | |||||||||||
tribunal of this state; | |||||||||||
(2) that a hearing to contest the validity or | |||||||||||
enforcement of the registered order must be requested within 30 | |||||||||||
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159.707; | |||||||||||
(3) that failure to contest the validity or | |||||||||||
enforcement of the registered order in a timely manner will result | |||||||||||
in confirmation of the order and enforcement of the order and the | |||||||||||
alleged arrearages; and | |||||||||||
(4) of the amount of any alleged arrearages. | |||||||||||
SECTION 10. Section 234.007(a), Family Code, is amended to | |||||||||||
read as follows: | |||||||||||
(a) A court that orders a party to pay [ |
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all [ |
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paid through [ |
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support that the court orders an employer to withhold from the | |||||||||||
income of the obligor. | |||||||||||
SECTION 11. Section 240.009, Property Code, is amended by | |||||||||||
adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: | |||||||||||
(e) A disclaimer of an interest in property made by an | |||||||||||
individual must contain a sworn statement regarding whether the | |||||||||||
disclaimant is a child support obligor whose disclaimer is barred | |||||||||||
under Section 240.151(g). | |||||||||||
SECTION 12. Section 102.0091(b), Family Code, is repealed. | |||||||||||
SECTION 13. The enactment of this Act does not constitute a | |||||||||||
material and substantial change of circumstances sufficient to | |||||||||||
warrant modification of a court order or portion of a decree that | |||||||||||
provides for the support of a child rendered before the effective | |||||||||||
date of this Act. | |||||||||||
SECTION 14. (a) Section 8.062, Family Code, as added by this | |||||||||||
Act, applies only to a maintenance order rendered on or after the | |||||||||||
effective date of this Act. A maintenance order rendered before the | |||||||||||
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the | |||||||||||
date the order was rendered, and the former law is continued in | |||||||||||
effect for that purpose. | |||||||||||
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, an | |||||||||||
obligor subject to a maintenance order rendered before the | |||||||||||
effective date of this Act may choose to remit maintenance payments | |||||||||||
to the state disbursement unit as provided by Chapter 234, Family | |||||||||||
Code, and the state disbursement unit shall accept those payments. | |||||||||||
SECTION 15. Section 154.0655, Family Code, as added by this | |||||||||||
Act, and Section 154.066, Family Code, as amended by this Act, apply | |||||||||||
only to a proceeding to establish or modify a child support | |||||||||||
obligation that is pending in a trial court on or filed on or after | |||||||||||
the effective date of this Act. | |||||||||||
SECTION 16. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections | |||||||||||
154.125 and 154.129, Family Code, apply to a suit affecting the | |||||||||||
parent-child relationship that is filed on or after the effective | |||||||||||
date of this Act. A suit filed before the effective date of this Act | |||||||||||
is governed by the law in effect on the date that the suit is filed, | |||||||||||
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. | |||||||||||
SECTION 17. Section 156.401, Family Code, as amended by | |||||||||||
this Act, applies only to a suit for modification of a child support | |||||||||||
order that is filed on or after the effective date of this Act. A | |||||||||||
suit for modification that is filed before the effective date of | |||||||||||
this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the suit was | |||||||||||
filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. | |||||||||||
SECTION 18. Section 157.263, Family Code, as amended by | |||||||||||
this Act, applies only to a cumulative money judgment rendered on or | |||||||||||
after the effective date of this Act. A judgment rendered before the | |||||||||||
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the | |||||||||||
time the judgment was rendered, and the former law is continued in | |||||||||||
effect for that purpose. | |||||||||||
SECTION 19. Section 159.605, Family Code, as amended by | |||||||||||
this Act, applies only to a support order or income-withholding | |||||||||||
order issued by a court of another state that is registered in this | |||||||||||
state on or after the effective date of this Act. A support order or | |||||||||||
income-withholding order that is registered in this state before | |||||||||||
the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on | |||||||||||
the date the order was registered, and the former law is continued | |||||||||||
in effect for that purpose. | |||||||||||
SECTION 20. Section 240.009, Property Code, as amended by | |||||||||||
this Act, applies only to a disclaimer made on or after the | |||||||||||
effective date of this Act. A disclaimer made before the effective | |||||||||||
date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the | |||||||||||
disclaimer was made, and the former law is continued in effect for | |||||||||||
that purpose. | |||||||||||
SECTION 21. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |