SB1404

The email address is for later motions, petitions and other pleadings through the state’s electronic filing system, and other legal documents or required notices. Court clerks may use that system to send orders, notices and other documents relating to the covered final order to an email address provided by a party. The safety exception means the court may not require the protected party to provide an address under the new provision if it finds likely danger; the law does not simply remove all nondisclosure protection. Final law, section 1; Existing final-order and nondisclosure rules.

The existing last-known-address notice rule is extended from child-support enforcement to modification actions too. It remains discretionary for the court, requires a showing of diligent efforts to locate the party, and excludes actions seeking contempt. It concerns written notice delivered to the latest residence, email or employment address filed by that party with the court and state case registry; it is not blanket permission to use any old email address. Final law, section 1.

When awarding attorney fees or expenses under section 106.002, the court must make that judgment separate from a judgment confirming support arrears. The same separation applies to attorney fees and court costs awarded under section 157.167(a) after a failure to pay child support. This changes the judgments’ separation, not an automatic forgiveness of fees, costs or unpaid support. It does not repeal the existing enforcement rules for those awards. Final law, sections 2–3; General fee awards; Support-enforcement fee awards; Arrears judgments.

The Senate substitute added the safety exception. The introduced version required an email address from the protected party without that new exception. The substitute’s protection survived unchanged in the Senate-passed, House committee and enrolled substantive text. No floor amendments are listed. Introduced; Senate substitute; Senate-passed; House committee; Final law; Version index; Amendment index.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Courts and families gain an electronic route for later documents and clearer separation of legal fees from support balances. Protected parties retain the new safety exception, while recipients still need to pay attention to case notices. The act does not establish a particular family’s savings, guarantee actual receipt of email, or change the amount of support owed. Final law.

The March 20 substitute fiscal note anticipates no significant fiscal impact on the state or local governments and assumes implementation costs can be absorbed within existing resources. The March 18 introduced note says the same. These estimates do not mean no work is required or quantify individual legal bills; the act makes no appropriation. Substitute fiscal note; Introduced fiscal note.