By: Heflin H.B. No. 2616
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to attorney fees in parent-child proceedings.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subsection 107.015(c), Family Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) If indigency of the parents is shown, an attorney ad
litem appointed to represent a child or parent in a suit filed by a
governmental entity shall be paid from general funds of the county
according to the fee schedule that applies to an attorney appointed
to represent a child in a suit under Title 3 as provided by Chapter
51. The court may not award attorney ad litem fees under this
chapter against the state, a state agency, or a political
subdivision of the state except as provided by this subsection.
Upon application by a county, the Comptroller shall reimburse the
county for fees paid under this subsection from funds appropriated
for that purpose.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.