The supreme court must adopt rules for foreign-law family-law cases, and those rules must require notice, a hearing, written findings, prompt decisions, and any necessary protective orders.
Sec. 22.0041. RULES REGARDING FOREIGN LAW AND FOREIGN JUDGMENTS IN CERTAIN FAMILY LAW ACTIONS. (a) In this section: (1) "Comity" means the recognition by a court of one jurisdiction of the laws and judicial decisions of a court of another jurisdiction. (2) "Foreign judgment" means a judgment of a court, tribunal, or administrative adjudicator of a jurisdiction outside of the states and territories of the United States. (3) "Foreign law" means a law, rule, or code of a jurisdiction outside of the states and territories of the United States. (b) The supreme court shall adopt rules of evidence and procedure to implement the limitations on the granting of comity to a foreign judgment or an arbitration award involving a marriage relationship or a parent-child relationship under the Family Code to protect against violations of constitutional rights and public policy. (c) The rules adopted under Subsection (b) must: (1) require that any party who intends to seek enforcement of a judgment or an arbitration award based on foreign law that involves a marriage relationship or a parent-child relationship shall provide timely notice to the court and to each other party, including by providing information required by Rule 203, Texas Rules of Evidence, and by describing the court's authority to enforce or decide to enforce the judgment or award; (2) require that any party who intends to oppose the enforcement of a judgment or an arbitration award based on foreign law that involves a marriage relationship or a parent-child relationship shall provide timely notice to the court and to each other party and include with the notice an explanation of the party's basis for opposition, including by stating whether the party asserts that the judgment or award violates constitutional rights or public policy; (3) require a hearing on the record, after notice to the parties, to determine whether the proposed enforcement of a judgment or an arbitration award based on foreign law that involves a marriage relationship or a parent-child relationship violates constitutional rights or public policy; (4) to facilitate appellate review, require that a court state its findings of fact and conclusions of law in a written order determining whether to enforce a foreign judgment or an arbitration award based on foreign law that involves a marriage relationship or a parent-child relationship; (5) require that a court's determination under Subdivision (3) or (4) be made promptly so that the action may proceed expeditiously; and (6) provide that a court may issue any orders the court considers necessary to preserve principles of comity or the freedom to contract for arbitration while protecting against violations of constitutional rights and public policy in the application of foreign law and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitration awards. (d) In addition to the rules required under Subsection (b), the supreme court shall adopt any other rules the supreme court considers necessary or advisable to accomplish the purposes of this section. (e) A rule adopted under this section does not apply to an action brought under the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (22 U.S.C. Section 9001 et seq.). (f) In the event of a conflict between a rule adopted under this section and a federal or state law, the federal or state law prevails. Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 771 (H.B. 45), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2017.