Relating to the appointment of attorneys ad litem and the compensation of certain attorneys ad litem in suits affecting the parent-child relationship filed by a governmental entity.

This bill requires Texas courts to appoint court-appointed lawyers (attorneys ad litem) for children and specific parents in family court cases where a government entity files to terminate parental rights or seek custody. It mandates early appointments for children and for low-income parents opposing termination, parents served by publication, or fathers with unknown identity (due to registry issues). The bill sets rules for compensating these lawyers using county general funds (not state funds) based on an existing fee schedule, and prohibits courts from seeking payment from the state for these services. This affects children, targeted parents, and county budgets in government-filed family court cases.