By: Raymond (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 149
(In the Senate - Received from the House March 31, 2011;
April 13, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on
Jurisprudence; May 21, 2011, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 21, 2011, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the appointment of a parenting coordinator or parenting
facilitator in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 153.609(d), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) If due to hardship the parties are unable to pay the fees
of a parenting coordinator, and a domestic relations office or a
comparable county agency [public employee] is not available under
Subsection (c), the court, if feasible, may appoint a person who
meets the minimum qualifications prescribed by Section 153.610,
including an employee of the court, to act as a parenting
coordinator on a volunteer basis and without compensation.
SECTION 2. Section 153.6091, Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 153.6091. COMPENSATION OF PARENTING FACILITATOR.
Section 153.609 applies to [the compensation of] a parenting
facilitator in the same manner as provided for [the compensation
of] a parenting coordinator, except that a person appointed in
accordance with Section 153.609(d) to act as a parenting
facilitator must meet the minimum qualifications prescribed by
Section 153.6101.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to a
suit affecting the parent-child relationship that is pending in a
trial court on the effective date of this Act or that is filed on or
after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 4. 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, 2011.
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