HBA-NLM H.B. 654 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 654
By: Gutierrez
County Affairs
2/26/1999
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 the availability of these
organizations and the lack of resources available to victims of family
violence. H.B. 654 increases the fee for a marriage license or an informal
declaration of marriage and allocates the money generated by the increase
to a family violence prevention account in the county treasury. This bill
authorizes the commissioners  court of the county to use the account only
to fund or assist persons providing shelter or services to victims of
family violence.   

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 118.011(a), Local Government Code, by increasing
the fees for a marriage license and declaration of informal marriage from
$25 to $30. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 118.022,  Local Government Code, by adding
Subsection (c), as follows: 

(c)  Requires that $5 of each fee collected for the issuance of a marriage
license or declaration of informal marriage be deposited in a family
violence prevention account in the county treasury.  Authorizes the
commissioners court of the county to use the account only to fund or assist
persons providing shelter or services to victims of family violence. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.
                       Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.