Title FA, Family Code

Sec. 159.317. COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN TRIBUNALS. A tribunal of this state may communicate with a tribunal outside this state in a record or by telephone, electronic mail, or by other means, to obtain information concerning the laws, the legal effect of a judgment, decree, or order…

Sec. 159.318. ASSISTANCE WITH DISCOVERY. A tribunal of this state may: (1) request a tribunal outside this state to assist in obtaining discovery; and (2) on request, compel a person over whom the tribunal has jurisdiction to respond to a discovery order issued by a tribunal outs…

Sec. 159.319. RECEIPT AND DISBURSEMENT OF PAYMENTS. (a) A support enforcement agency or tribunal of this state shall disburse promptly any amounts received under a support order, as directed by the order. The agency or tribunal shall furnish to a requesting party or tribunal of a…

Sec. 159.401. ESTABLISHMENT OF SUPPORT ORDER. (a) If a support order entitled to recognition under this chapter has not been issued, a responding tribunal of this state with personal jurisdiction over the parties may issue a support order if: (1) the individual seeking the order …

Sec. 159.402. PROCEEDING TO DETERMINE PARENTAGE. A tribunal of this state authorized to determine parentage of a child may serve as a responding tribunal in a proceeding to determine parentage of a child brought under this chapter or a law or procedure substantially similar to th…

Sec. 159.501. EMPLOYER'S RECEIPT OF INCOME-WITHHOLDING ORDER OF ANOTHER STATE. An income-withholding order issued in another state may be sent by or on behalf of the obligee or by the support enforcement agency to the person defined as the obligor's employer under Chapter 158 wit…

Sec. 159.502. EMPLOYER'S COMPLIANCE WITH INCOME-WITHHOLDING ORDER OF ANOTHER STATE. (a) On receipt of an income-withholding order, the obligor's employer shall immediately provide a copy of the order to the obligor. (b) The employer shall treat an income-withholding order issued …

Sec. 159.503. EMPLOYER'S COMPLIANCE WITH TWO OR MORE INCOME-WITHHOLDING ORDERS. If an obligor's employer receives two or more income-withholding orders with respect to the earnings of the same obligor, the employer satisfies the terms of the orders if the employer complies with t…

Sec. 159.504. IMMUNITY FROM CIVIL LIABILITY. An employer who complies with an income-withholding order issued in another state in accordance with this subchapter is not subject to civil liability to an individual or agency with regard to the employer's withholding of child suppor…

Sec. 159.505. PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE. An employer who wilfully fails to comply with an income-withholding order issued by another state and received for enforcement is subject to the same penalties that may be imposed for noncompliance with an order issued by a tribunal of t…

Sec. 159.506. CONTEST BY OBLIGOR. (a) An obligor may contest the validity or enforcement of an income-withholding order issued in another state and received directly by an employer in this state by registering the order in a tribunal of this state and filing a contest to that ord…

Sec. 159.507. ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT OF ORDERS. (a) A party or support enforcement agency seeking to enforce a support order or an income-withholding order, or both, issued in another state or a foreign support order may send the documents required for registering the order t…

Sec. 159.601. REGISTRATION OF ORDER FOR ENFORCEMENT. A support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or a foreign support order may be registered in this state for enforcement. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by: Act…

Sec. 159.602. PROCEDURE TO REGISTER ORDER FOR ENFORCEMENT. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Section 159.706, a support order or income-withholding order of another state or a foreign support order may be registered in this state by sending the following records to the appropri…

Sec. 159.603. EFFECT OF REGISTRATION FOR ENFORCEMENT. (a) A support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or a foreign support order is registered when the order is filed in the registering tribunal of this state. (b) A registered support order issued in anoth…

Sec. 159.604. CHOICE OF LAW. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (d), the law of the issuing state or foreign country governs: (1) the nature, extent, amount, and duration of current payments under a registered support order; (2) the computation and payment of arrearag…

Sec. 159.605. NOTICE OF REGISTRATION OF ORDER. (a) When a support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or a foreign support order is registered, the registering tribunal of this state shall notify the nonregistering party. The notice must be accompanied by a …

Sec. 159.606. PROCEDURE TO CONTEST VALIDITY OR ENFORCEMENT OF REGISTERED SUPPORT ORDER. (a) A nonregistering party seeking to contest the validity or enforcement of a registered support order in this state shall request a hearing within the time required by Section 159.605. The n…

Sec. 159.607. CONTEST OF REGISTRATION OR ENFORCEMENT. (a) A party contesting the validity or enforcement of a registered support order or seeking to vacate the registration has the burden of proving one or more of the following defenses: (1) the issuing tribunal lacked personal j…

Sec. 159.608. CONFIRMED ORDER. Confirmation of a registered support order, whether by operation of law or after notice and hearing, precludes further contest of the order with respect to any matter that could have been asserted at the time of registration. Added by Acts 1995, 74t…

Sec. 159.609. PROCEDURE TO REGISTER CHILD SUPPORT ORDER OF ANOTHER STATE FOR MODIFICATION. A party or support enforcement agency seeking to modify, or to modify and enforce, a child support order issued in another state shall register that order in this state in the same manner p…

Sec. 159.610. EFFECT OF REGISTRATION FOR MODIFICATION. A tribunal of this state may enforce a child support order of another state registered for purposes of modification in the same manner as if the order had been issued by a tribunal of this state, but the registered support or…

Sec. 159.611. MODIFICATION OF CHILD SUPPORT ORDER OF ANOTHER STATE. (a) If Section 159.613 does not apply, on petition a tribunal of this state may modify a child support order issued in another state that is registered in this state if, after notice and hearing, the tribunal fin…

Sec. 159.612. RECOGNITION OF ORDER MODIFIED IN ANOTHER STATE. If a child support order issued by a tribunal of this state is modified by a tribunal of another state that assumed jurisdiction under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, a tribunal of this state: (1) may enforc…

Sec. 159.613. JURISDICTION TO MODIFY CHILD SUPPORT ORDER OF ANOTHER STATE WHEN INDIVIDUAL PARTIES RESIDE IN THIS STATE. (a) If all of the parties who are individuals reside in this state and the child does not reside in the issuing state, a tribunal of this state has jurisdiction…

Sec. 159.614. NOTICE TO ISSUING TRIBUNAL OF MODIFICATION. Within 30 days after issuance of a modified child support order, the party obtaining the modification shall file a certified copy of the order with the issuing tribunal that had continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over the …

Sec. 159.615. JURISDICTION TO MODIFY CHILD SUPPORT ORDER OF FOREIGN COUNTRY. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Section 159.711, if a foreign country lacks or refuses to exercise jurisdiction to modify its child support order pursuant to its laws, a tribunal of this state may as…

Sec. 159.616. PROCEDURE TO REGISTER CHILD SUPPORT ORDER OF FOREIGN COUNTRY FOR MODIFICATION. A party or support enforcement agency seeking to modify, or to modify and enforce, a foreign child support order not under the Convention may register that order in this state under Secti…

Sec. 159.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Application" means a request under the Convention by an obligee or obligor, or on behalf of a child, made through a central authority for assistance from another central authority. (2) "Central authority" means the entity design…

Sec. 159.702. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only to a support proceeding under the Convention. In such a proceeding, if a provision of this subchapter is inconsistent with Subchapters B through G, this subchapter controls. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 368 (H.…

Sec. 159.703. RELATIONSHIP OF OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL TO UNITED STATES CENTRAL AUTHORITY. The office of the attorney general of this state is recognized as the agency designated by the United States central authority to perform specific functions under the Convention. Added by…

Sec. 159.704. INITIATION BY OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL OF SUPPORT PROCEEDING UNDER CONVENTION. (a) In a support proceeding under this subchapter, the office of the attorney general of this state shall: (1) transmit and receive applications; and (2) initiate or facilitate the inst…

Sec. 159.705. DIRECT REQUEST. (a) A petitioner may file a direct request seeking establishment or modification of a support order or determination of parentage of a child. In the proceeding, the law of this state applies. (b) A petitioner may file a direct request seeking recogni…

Sec. 159.706. REGISTRATION OF CONVENTION SUPPORT ORDER. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, a party who is an individual or a support enforcement agency seeking recognition of a Convention support order shall register the order in this state as provided in Subcha…

Sec. 159.707. CONTEST OF REGISTERED CONVENTION SUPPORT ORDER. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, Sections 159.605 through 159.608 apply to a contest of a registered Convention support order. (b) A party contesting a registered Convention support order shall file…

Sec. 159.708. RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF REGISTERED CONVENTION SUPPORT ORDER. (a) Except as otherwise provided in Subsection (b), a tribunal of this state shall recognize and enforce a registered Convention support order. (b) The following grounds are the only grounds on whic…

Sec. 159.709. PARTIAL ENFORCEMENT. If a tribunal of this state does not recognize and enforce a Convention support order in its entirety, it shall enforce any severable part of the order. An application or direct request may seek recognition and partial enforcement of a Conventio…

Sec. 159.710. FOREIGN SUPPORT AGREEMENT. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Subsections (c) and (d), a tribunal of this state shall recognize and enforce a foreign support agreement registered in this state. (b) An application or direct request for recognition and enforcement of…

Sec. 159.711. MODIFICATION OF CONVENTION CHILD SUPPORT ORDER. (a) A tribunal of this state may not modify a Convention child support order if the obligee remains a resident of the foreign country where the support order was issued unless: (1) the obligee submits to the jurisdicti…

Sec. 159.712. PERSONAL INFORMATION; LIMIT ON USE. Personal information gathered or transmitted under this subchapter may be used only for the purposes for which it was gathered or transmitted. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 368 (H.B. 3538), Sec. 58, eff. July 1, 2015.

Sec. 159.713. RECORD IN ORIGINAL LANGUAGE; ENGLISH TRANSLATION. A record filed with a tribunal of this state under this subchapter must be in the original language and, if not in English, must be accompanied by an English translation. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 368 …

Sec. 159.801. GROUNDS FOR RENDITION. (a) For purposes of this subchapter, "governor" includes an individual performing the functions of governor or the executive authority of a state covered by this chapter. (b) The governor of this state may: (1) demand that the governor of anot…

Sec. 159.802. CONDITIONS OF RENDITION. (a) Before making a demand that the governor of another state surrender an individual charged criminally in this state with having failed to provide for the support of an obligee, the governor of this state may require a prosecutor of this s…

Sec. 159.901. UNIFORMITY OF APPLICATION AND CONSTRUCTION. In applying and construing this uniform act, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Se…

Sec. 160.001. APPLICATION AND CONSTRUCTION. This chapter shall be applied and construed to promote the uniformity of the law among the states that enact the Uniform Parentage Act. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 1.01, eff. June 14, 2001.

Sec. 160.002. CONFLICTS BETWEEN PROVISIONS. If a provision of this chapter conflicts with another provision of this title or another state statute or rule and the conflict cannot be reconciled, this chapter prevails. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 1.01, eff. June …