Sec. 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, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 22, 1986.