SUBCHAPTER A CONFLICTS BETWEEN PROVISIONS
SUBCHAPTER B GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Texas Section 159.001 - Conflicts Between Provisions
If a provision of this chapter conflicts with a provision of this title or another statute or rule of this state and the conflict cannot...
- Texas Section 159.101 - Short Title
This chapter may be cited as the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1247, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1,
- Texas Section 159.102 - Definitions
In this chapter: (1) "Child" means an individual, whether over or under the age of majority, who: (A) is or is alleged to be owed...
- Texas Section 159.103 - State Tribunal And Support Enforcement Agency
(a) The court is the tribunal of this state. (b) The office of the attorney general is the support enforcement agency of this state. Added...
- Texas Section 159.104 - Remedies Cumulative
(a) Remedies provided by this chapter are cumulative and do not affect the availability of remedies under other law or the recognition of a foreign...
SUBCHAPTER C JURISDICTION
- Texas Section 159.105 - Application Of Chapter To Resident Of Foreign Country And Foreign Support Proceeding
(a) A tribunal of this state shall apply Subchapters B through G and, as applicable, Subchapter H to a support proceeding involving: (1) a foreign...
- Texas Section 159.201 - Bases For Jurisdiction Over Nonresident
(a) In a proceeding to establish or enforce a support order or to determine parentage of a child, a tribunal of this state may exercise...
- Texas Section 159.202 - Duration Of Personal Jurisdiction
Personal jurisdiction acquired by a tribunal of this state in a proceeding under this chapter or other law of this state relating to a support...
- Texas Section 159.203 - Initiating And Responding Tribunal Of State
Under this chapter, a tribunal of this state may serve as an initiating tribunal to forward proceedings to a tribunal of another state and as...
- Texas Section 159.204 - Simultaneous Proceedings
(a) A tribunal of this state may exercise jurisdiction to establish a support order if the petition or comparable pleading is filed after a pleading...
- Texas Section 159.205 - Continuing, Exclusive Jurisdiction To Modify Child Support Order
(a) A tribunal of this state that has issued a child support order consistent with the law of this state has and shall exercise continuing,...
- Texas Section 159.206 - Continuing Jurisdiction To Enforce Child Support Order
(a) A tribunal of this state that has issued a child support order consistent with the law of this state may serve as an initiating...
- Texas Section 159.207 - Determination Of Controlling Child Support Order
(a) If a proceeding is brought under this chapter and only one tribunal has issued a child support order, the order of that tribunal controls...
- Texas Section 159.208 - Child Support Orders For Two Or More Obligees
In responding to registrations or petitions for enforcement of two or more child support orders in effect at the same time with regard to the...
- Texas Section 159.209 - Credit For Payments
A tribunal of this state shall credit amounts collected for a particular period under any child support order against the amounts owed for the same...
- Texas Section 159.210 - Application Of Chapter To Nonresident Subject To Personal Jurisdiction
A tribunal of this state exercising personal jurisdiction over a nonresident in a proceeding under this chapter or under other law of this state relating...
SUBCHAPTER D CIVIL PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- Texas Section 159.211 - Continuing, Exclusive Jurisdiction To Modify Spousal Support Order
(a) A tribunal of this state issuing a spousal support order consistent with the law of this state has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify the...
- Texas Section 159.301 - Proceedings Under Chapter
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, this subchapter applies to all proceedings under this chapter. (b) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch....
- Texas Section 159.302 - Proceeding By Minor Parent
A minor parent or a guardian or other legal representative of a minor parent may maintain a proceeding on behalf of or for the benefit...
- Texas Section 159.303 - Application Of Law Of State
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a responding tribunal of this state shall: (1) apply the procedural and substantive law generally applicable to similar...
- Texas Section 159.304 - Duties Of Initiating Tribunal
(a) On the filing of a petition authorized by this chapter, an initiating tribunal of this state shall forward the petition and its accompanying documents:...
- Texas Section 159.305 - Duties And Powers Of Responding Tribunal
(a) When a responding tribunal of this state receives a petition or comparable pleading from an initiating tribunal or directly under Section 159.301(c), the responding...
- Texas Section 159.306 - Inappropriate Tribunal
If a petition or comparable pleading is received by an inappropriate tribunal of this state, that tribunal shall forward the pleading and accompanying documents to...
- Texas Section 159.307 - Duties Of Support Enforcement Agency
(a) A support enforcement agency of this state, on request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter. (b) A support...
- Texas Section 159.308 - Duty Of Attorney General And Governor
(a) If the attorney general determines that the support enforcement agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an individual, the attorney general may...
- Texas Section 159.309 - Private Counsel
An individual may employ private counsel to represent the individual in proceedings authorized by this chapter. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec....
- Texas Section 159.310 - Duties Of State Information Agency
(a) The Title IV-D agency is the state information agency under this chapter. (b) The state information agency shall: (1) compile and maintain a current...
- Texas Section 159.311 - Pleadings And Accompanying Documents
(a) In a proceeding under this chapter, a petitioner seeking to establish a support order, to determine parentage of a child, or to register and...
- Texas Section 159.312 - Nondisclosure Of Information In Exceptional Circumstances
If a party alleges in an affidavit or pleading under oath that the health, safety, or liberty of a party or child would be jeopardized...
- Texas Section 159.313 - Costs And Fees
(a) The petitioner may not be required to pay a filing fee or other costs. (b) If an obligee prevails, a responding tribunal of this...
- Texas Section 159.314 - Limited Immunity Of Petitioner
(a) Participation by a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter before a responding tribunal, whether in person, by private attorney, or through services provided...
- Texas Section 159.315 - Nonparentage As Defense
A party whose parentage of a child has been previously determined by or under law may not plead nonparentage as a defense to a proceeding...
- Texas Section 159.316 - Special Rules Of Evidence And Procedure
(a) The physical presence of a nonresident party who is an individual in a tribunal of this state is not required for the establishment, enforcement,...
- Texas Section 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,...
- Texas Section 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...
SUBCHAPTER E ESTABLISHMENT OF SUPPORT ORDER OR DETERMINATION OF PARENTAGE
- Texas Section 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....
- Texas Section 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...
SUBCHAPTER F ENFORCEMENT OF SUPPORT ORDER WITHOUT REGISTRATION
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
SUBCHAPTER G REGISTRATION, ENFORCEMENT, AND MODIFICATION OF SUPPORT ORDER
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
SUBCHAPTER H SUPPORT PROCEEDING UNDER CONVENTION
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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)...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
SUBCHAPTER I INTERSTATE RENDITION
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...
SUBCHAPTER J MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 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...