Sec. 54.06. JUDGMENTS FOR SUPPORT. (a) At any stage of the proceeding, when a child has been placed outside the child's home, the juvenile court, after giving the parent or other person responsible for the child's support a reasonable opportunity to be heard, shall order the parent or other person to pay in a manner directed by the court a reasonable sum for the support in whole or in part of the child or the court shall waive the payment by order. The court shall order that the payment for support be made to the local juvenile probation department to be used only for residential care and other support for the child unless the child has been committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, in which case the court shall order that the payment be made to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department for deposit in a special account in the general revenue fund that may be appropriated only for the care of children committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

(b) At any stage of the proceeding, when a child has been placed outside the child's home and the parent of the child is obligated to pay support for the child under a court order under Title 5, the juvenile court shall order that the person entitled to receive the support assign the person's right to support for the child placed outside the child's home to the local juvenile probation department to be used for residential care and other support for the child unless the child has been committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, in which event the court shall order that the assignment be made to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

(c) A court may enforce an order for support under this section by ordering garnishment of the wages of the person ordered to pay support or by any other means available to enforce a child support order under Title 5.

(d) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 283, Sec. 61(1).

(e) The court shall apply the child support guidelines under Subchapter C, Chapter 154, in an order requiring the payment of child support under this section. The court shall also require in an order to pay child support under this section that health insurance and dental insurance be provided for the child. Subchapter D, Chapter 154, applies to an order requiring health insurance and dental insurance for a child under this section.

(f) An order under this section prevails over any previous child support order issued with regard to the child to the extent of any conflict between the orders.

Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 1460, ch. 544, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1973. Amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 163, ch. 44, art. 1, Sec. 5, eff. April 26, 1983; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 1040, Sec. 24, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 798, Sec. 23, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 1048, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 43, eff. Jan. 1, 1996; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 7.11, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 283, Sec. 61(1), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 734 (H.B. 1549), Sec. 55, eff. September 1, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1150 (S.B. 550), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2018.