{"data":{"id":"us-tx/tex.-finance-code-396.251","jurisdiction":"us-tx","citation":"Tex. Finance Code § 396.251","heading":"THREATS OR COERCION.","body":"(a) In enforcing a child support obligation, a private child support enforcement agency may not use threats, coercion, or attempts to coerce that employ any of the following practices:\n(1) using or threatening to use violence or other criminal means to cause harm to an obligor or property of the obligor;\n(2) accusing falsely or threatening to accuse falsely an obligor of a violation of state or federal child support laws;\n(3) taking or threatening to take an enforcement action against an obligor that is not authorized by law; or\n(4) intentionally representing to a person that the agency is a governmental agency authorized to enforce a child support obligation.\n(b) Subsection (a) does not prevent a private child support enforcement agency from:\n(1) informing an obligor that the obligor may be subject to penalties prescribed by law for failure to pay a child support obligation; or\n(2) taking, or threatening to take, an action authorized by law for the enforcement of a child support obligation by the agency.\nAdded by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1023, Sec. 73, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.\nAmended by:\nActs 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 20 (S.B. 614), Sec. 35, eff. September 1, 2019.","path":["FINANCE CODE","TITLE 5. PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS OF FINANCIAL SERVICES","CHAPTER 396. PRIVATE CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES","SUBCHAPTER F. PROHIBITED PRACTICES"],"source_url":"https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FI/htm/FI.396.htm#396.251","current_through":"89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T01:47:13Z","sha256":"95996f7f7681db8f8a62227aa40267c1d7b5f23f1ce297eb8c87d90d9bf5f178","source_id":"us-tx","stale":false,"prev":"us-tx/tex.-finance-code-396.203","next":"us-tx/tex.-finance-code-396.252"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}