In brief outline, UPA (2002) is structured as follows: Article 1, General Provisions, adds many new definitions to clarify the participants in determinations of parentage and adapt the Act to recent scientific developments. Article 2, Parent-Child Relationship, will look familiar to past users of UPA (1973) because it continues a number of the 1973 provisions with little or no change, while eliminating the ambiguous term "natural" to describe a genetic parent. Article 3, Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, is entirely new and is driven by federal mandates that states provide simplified nonjudicial means to establish paternity, especially for newborns and young children. Article 4, Registry of Paternity, is entirely new and incorporates a tightly integrated registry law to deal with the rights of a man who is neither an acknowledged, presumed or adjudicated father. A primary goal of this article is to facilitate adoption proceedings. Article 5, Genetic Testing, comprehensively covers that subject in ten separate sections (the 1973 Act had one section on the subject). Article 6, Proceeding to Adjudicate Parentage, sets forth the parties to, and the procedures for, adjudicating parentage and challenging acknowledgments, presumptions, and judgments. Article 7, Child of Assisted Reproduction, recodifies USCACA (1988), but applies its provisions to nonmarital as well as marital children born as a result of assisted reproductive technologies. The bracketed Article 8, Gestational Agreement, is based upon USCACA (1988), but follows only the option that permits enforcement of a gestational agreement. Moreover, the Act makes a number of important changes in that option.

UPA (1973) contained a number of other substantive provisions, including those applicable to child support and custody. These subjects are omitted from UPA (2002) because other state law adequately provides for them.

Finally, Uniform Parentage Act (2002) is consistent with the provisions of two other uniform acts of great significance, namely the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act [UIFSA (1996) and UIFSA (2001)] and the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act [UCCJEA (1997)].

Sec. A-1. 19-A MRSA c. 61 is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 61

UNIFORM PARENTAGE ACT

SUBCHAPTER 1