S.B. No. 285

	AN ACT
	relating to the administration of and certain procedures under the
	Title IV-D program for child support enforcement.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 105.008, Family Code, is amended to read
	as follows:
	Sec. 105.008.  RECORD OF SUPPORT ORDER FOR STATE CASE
	REGISTRY. (a)  The clerk of the court shall provide the state case
	registry with a record of a court order for child support, medical
	support, and dental support.  The record of a support [an] order
	shall include information provided by the parties on a form
	developed by the Title IV-D agency.  The form shall be completed by
	the petitioner and submitted to the clerk at the time the order is
	filed for record.
	(b)  The form described by Subsection (a) may include an
	option for a party to apply for child support services provided by
	the Title IV-D agency.  If a party applies for child support
	services, the party or the party's authorized representative must
	sign the form.
	(c)  To the extent federal funds are available, the Title
	IV-D agency shall reimburse the clerk of the court for the costs
	incurred in providing the record of support order required under
	this section.
	SECTION 2.  Section 111.001(b), Family Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(b)  At least once every four years, the Title IV-D agency
	shall review the child support guidelines under Chapter 154 as
	required by 42 U.S.C. Section 667(a) and 45 C.F.R. Section 302.56
	and report the results of the review and any recommendations for any
	changes to the guidelines and their manner of application to the
	standing committees of each house of the legislature having
	jurisdiction over family law issues.
	SECTION 3.  Sections 231.0011(c) and (d), Family Code, are
	amended to read as follows:
	(c)  The Title IV-D agency may contract with any county
	meeting technical system requirements necessary to comply with
	federal law for provision of Title IV-D services in that county.
	The clerk of the court of a county participating in the unified
	enforcement system shall use a record of support order form
	described by Section 105.008(b) that includes an option for the
	obligee or obligor to apply for child support services provided by
	the Title IV-D agency. [All new cases in which support orders are
	entered in such county after the effective date of a monitoring
	contract shall be Title IV-D cases.  Any other case in the county,
	subject to federal requirements and the agreement of the county and
	the Title IV-D agency, may be included as a Title IV-D case.  Any
	obligee under a support order may refuse Title IV-D enforcement
	services unless required to accept such services pursuant to other
	law.]
	(d)  Counties participating in the unified enforcement
	system shall monitor all assigned Title IV-D child support
	[registry] cases and on delinquency may, subject to the approval of
	the Title IV-D agency, provide enforcement services through:
	(1)  direct provision of services by county personnel;
	(2)  subcontracting all or portions of the services to
	private entities or attorneys; or
	(3)  such other methods as may be approved by the Title
	IV-D agency.
	SECTION 4.  Section 231.104, Family Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
	(c)  Filing a notice of assignment of support rights, a
	notice of change of payee under Section 231.105, or a pleading by
	the Title IV-D agency in a suit under this title is evidence of the
	assignment of support rights to the Title IV-D agency in that cause
	and is admissible as evidence of the truth of the assignment of
	support rights and does not require further authentication or
	verification.
	SECTION 5.  Section 233.018, Family Code, is amended by
	adding Subsections (c), (d), and (e) to read as follows:
	(c)  A party may sign a waiver under this section using a
	digitized signature.
	(d)  A waiver under this section must be:
	(1)  sworn before a notary public; or
	(2)  executed using an unsworn declaration under
	Section 132.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
	(e)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(2), the mailing address
	of a party shall be omitted if:
	(1)  the court has previously made a finding and
	ordered nondisclosure under Section 105.006(c) relating to the
	parties and the order has not been superseded; or
	(2)  the child support review order contains an agreed
	finding and order under Section 105.006(c).
	SECTION 6.  Section 233.021(c), Family Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(c)  The clerk shall deliver by personal service or, if
	court-ordered, a method of substituted service, a copy of the
	petition for confirmation of a nonagreed review order and a copy of
	the order, to each party entitled to service who has not waived
	service.
	SECTION 7.  Section 233.024(a), Family Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(a)  On the filing of an agreed child support review order
	signed by all parties, together with waiver of service, the court
	shall sign the order not later than the seventh [third] day after
	the filing of the order. On expiration of the seventh [third] day
	after the filing of the order, the order is considered confirmed by
	the court by operation of law, regardless of whether the court has
	signed the order. The court may sign the order before filing the
	order, but the signed order shall immediately be filed.
	SECTION 8.  The changes in law made by this Act to Sections
	105.008 and 231.0011, Family Code, apply to a suit affecting the
	parent-child relationship pending in a trial court on or filed on or
	after the effective date of this Act.
	SECTION 9.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
	233.021(c), Family Code, applies only to a petition for
	confirmation of a nonagreed order filed on or after the effective
	date of this Act.  A petition filed before the effective date of
	this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the petition
	was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
	purpose.
	SECTION 10.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
	233.024(a), Family Code, applies only to an agreed child support
	review order filed on or after the effective date of this Act.  An
	order filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
	law in effect on the date the order was filed, and the former law is
	continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 11.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 285 passed the Senate on
	April 29, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 285 passed the House on
	May 14, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 129, Nays 0, one
	present not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	Approved:
	______________________________
	Date
	______________________________
	Governor