| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to registration with and searches of the state registry of |
|
|
paternity. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 160.402(a), Family Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(a) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (b), a man |
|
|
who desires to be notified of a proceeding for the adoption of or |
|
|
the termination of parental rights regarding a child that he may |
|
|
have fathered may register with the registry of paternity: |
|
|
(1) before the birth of the child; or |
|
|
(2) not later than the 14th [31st] day after the date |
|
|
of the birth of the child. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 160.415, Family Code, is amended to read |
|
|
as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 160.415. UNTIMELY REGISTRATION. If a man registers |
|
|
later than the 14th [31st] day after the date of the birth of the |
|
|
child, the vital statistics unit shall notify the registrant that |
|
|
the registration was not timely filed. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 160.421(a), Family Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(a) If a father-child relationship has not been established |
|
|
under this chapter, a petitioner for the adoption of or the |
|
|
termination of parental rights regarding the child must obtain a |
|
|
certificate of the results of a search of the registry. The |
|
|
petitioner may request a search of the registry on or after the 15th |
|
|
[32nd] day after the date of the birth of the child, and the |
|
|
executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission |
|
|
may not by rule impose a waiting period that must elapse before the |
|
|
vital statistics unit will conduct the requested search. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 160.422(a), Family Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The vital statistics unit shall furnish a certificate of |
|
|
the results of a search of the registry not later than the 10th day |
|
|
after the date of the receipt of a [on] request by an individual, a |
|
|
court, or an agency listed in Section 160.412(b). |
|
|
SECTION 5. (a) Sections 160.402 and 160.415, Family Code, |
|
|
as amended by this Act, apply only to the time requirements for |
|
|
registering with the state registry of paternity as the putative |
|
|
father of a child born on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|
|
The time requirements for registering with the state registry of |
|
|
paternity as the putative father of a child born before the |
|
|
effective date of this Act are governed by the law in effect on the |
|
|
date the child was born, and the former law is continued in effect |
|
|
for that purpose. |
|
|
(b) Section 160.421, Family Code, as amended by this Act, |
|
|
applies only to a request for a search of the state registry of |
|
|
paternity by a petitioner for the adoption of or the termination of |
|
|
parental rights regarding a child in relation to a child born on or |
|
|
after the effective date of this Act. A request for a search of the |
|
|
state registry of paternity by a petitioner in relation to a child |
|
|
born before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date |
|
|
the child was born, and the former law is continued in effect for |
|
|
that purpose. |
|
|
(c) Section 160.422, Family Code, as amended by this Act, |
|
|
applies only to a request for a search of the state registry of |
|
|
paternity made on or after the effective date of this Act. A |
|
|
request for a search of the state registry of paternity made before |
|
|
the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on |
|
|
the date the request was made, and the former law is continued in |
|
|
effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |