HBA-CBW H.B. 1631 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1631
By: Reyna, Elvira
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
2/25/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the production of child support payment records by a local
registry or the state disbursement unit are only admissible into evidence
by sending a certified copy of the record or an affidavit regarding the
original payment record.  House Bill 1631  permits child support payment
records maintained by a local registry or the state disbursement unit to be
admitted into evidence under certain conditions and permits the use of
specified electronically transmitted records. 

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 1631 amends the Family Code to provide that a certified copy of
a record of child support payments maintained by the state disbursement
unit that is received by a local registry by electronic transmission is
admissible into evidence in a proceeding and is required to be given the
same effect as the original record.  The bill requires the state
disbursement unit to maintain the original record of child support
payments. 

The bill provides that an official record of child support payments is
admissible into evidence in a proceeding without proof of correctness or
other proof if the custodian of records of the local registry or state
disbursement unit certifies the record's accuracy and authenticity. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.