Texas Government Code - Section 21.007. Child Support And Court Management Account
Legal Research Home >
Texas Lawyer > Government Code > Texas Government Code - Section 21.007. Child Support And Court Management Account
§ 21.007. CHILD SUPPORT AND COURT MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNT. (a) The presiding judges of the administrative judicial
regions shall administer the child support and court management
account of the judicial fund and may name the committees they
consider necessary to aid in administering the account.
(b) Only the chief justice may call and convene meetings of
the presiding judges to administer the account. The presiding
judges shall act by majority vote.
(c) On request of the presiding judges, the Office of Court
Administration shall assist the presiding judges in administering
the account.
(d) The Office of Court Administration and the presiding
judges shall file a report with the Legislative Budget Board at the
end of each fiscal year showing disbursements from the account and
the purpose for each disbursement.
(e) A county commissioners court, statutory county court
judge, district judge, or court clerk may apply to the presiding
judges for funds from the account. After receiving an application,
the presiding judges may conduct an on-site assessment of the needs
of the applicant. Before acting on any other pending applications,
the presiding judges shall act on applications for funds to employ a
court master and other judicial employees or to purchase equipment
necessary to comply with state or federal law relating to the Child
Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984 (P.L. 98-378). All funds
expended are subject to audit by the comptroller of public accounts
and the state auditor. Funds shall be allocated among the various
administrative judicial regions taking into consideration the
intent of the legislature that the amount of federal funds
available under the Title IV-D program of the Social Security Act,
as amended, for the collection and enforcement of child support
obligations shall be maximized. The presiding judges are given the
power to contract with the Office of the Attorney General and local
political subdivisions as may be necessary to achieve this intent.
(f) After approval of an application by the presiding
judges, the applicant may be directly reimbursed by the comptroller
from the child support and court management account for expenses
incurred pursuant to the approved application in accordance with
this Act. A person paid from funds drawn on the account is an
employee of the county, and that person's salary may be
supplemented from other sources, including local or federal funds
and public or private grants. Funds allocated for personnel may not
be used to pay the salary of a district or statutory county court
judge. Funds allocated for personnel may be used to pay in full or
in part the salary of an employee, to supplement the salary of an
existing employee, or to hire additional personnel. The presiding
judges and the Office of Court Administration shall cooperate with
any state or federal agency to provide for the fullest possible
supplementation of the account and shall act as necessary to
qualify account funds for any federal matching funds or
reimbursement of funds available under the Title IV-D program
administered by the attorney general.
(g) It is the purpose of this section to increase the funds
available for the collection and enforcement of child support
obligations and the administration of justice in each county in
this state and to provide funding to be used for court-related
purposes for the support of the judicial branch of this state.
Funds available from the judicial fund and its special account may
be supplemented by local or federal funds and private or public
grants. A county commissioners court may not reduce the amount of
funds provided for these purposes because of the availability of
funds from the judicial fund or the special account.
Added by Acts 1986, 69th Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 11, § 2, eff. Sept.
22, 1986.
Section: 1.002 1.003 21.001 21.002 21.004 21.005 21.006 21.007 21.008 21.009 22.001 22.002 22.003 22.004 22.005
Last modified: August 10, 2007
|
