LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                                May 7, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Royce West, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Jurisprudence
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB638  by Turner, Sylvester (Relating to contesting a
               voluntary statement of paternity or acknowledgment of
               paternity.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would provide for suits to contest voluntary statements of
paternity under certain circumstances. The bill would require courts,
upon a preliminary finding that there is credible evidence of fraud,
duress, or material mistake of fact, to order scientifically accepted
parentage testing. The person contesting the voluntary statement of
paternity would pay the cost of such test. Voluntary statements of
paternity executed before September 1, 1999, could be contested pursuant
to the provisions of the bill.  The bill would be effective on September
1, 2001.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, JC, AJ