PART A
‘’Sec. .
SP0358 LD 1017 |
Session - 127th Maine Legislature C "A", Filing Number S-254, Sponsored by
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LR 310 Item 2 |
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Bill Tracking, Additional Documents | Chamber Status |
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause the following:
PART A
‘’Sec. .
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following:
PART B
‘Sec. B-1. 19-A MRSA §1551, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.
Sec. B-2. 19-A MRSA §1552, as amended by PL 2005, c. 323, §10, is further amended to read:
§ 1552. Obligations of father
The father of a child who is or may be born out of wedlock is liable to the same extent as the father of a child born in wedlock, whether or not the child is born alive, for the reasonable expense of the mother's pregnancy and confinement and for the education, support and funeral expenses of the child.
Sec. B-3. 19-A MRSA §1553, first ¶, as amended by PL 1997, c. 537, §16 and affected by §62, is further amended to read:
Paternity may be determined upon the complaint of the mother, the alleged father, the child or the public authority chargeable by law with the support of the child. If paternity has been determined or has been acknowledged according to the laws of this State, the liabilities of the father may be enforced in the same or other proceedings by the mother, the child or the public authority that has furnished or may furnish the reasonable expenses of pregnancy, confinement, education, support or funeral expenses, and by other persons, including private agencies, to the extent that they have furnished the reasonable expenses of pregnancy, confinement, education, support or funeral expenses. Bills and records of expenses paid for pregnancy, child birth childbirth and genetic testing are admissible as evidence without requiring 3rd-party foundation testimony and are prima facie evidence of amounts incurred for those services or for testing on behalf of the child. Chapter 63 applies to an award of past support, which is calculated by applying the current child support guidelines to the period for which past support is owed.
Sec. B-4. 19-A MRSA §1556, as repealed and replaced by PL 2001, c. 471, Pt. A, §23, is amended to read:
§ 1556. Remedies
The District Court has jurisdiction over an action to determine parentage. There is no right to demand a jury trial in an action to determine parentage. The District Court has jurisdiction for the enforcement of judgments for expenses of pregnancy and confinement for a wife or for education, support or funeral expenses for legitimate children and all remedies for the enforcement of these judgments apply. The court has continuing jurisdiction to modify or revoke a judgment for future education and support. All remedies under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act are available for enforcement of duties of support under this subchapter.
Sec. B-5. 19-A MRSA §1558, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.
Sec. B-6. 19-A MRSA §1559, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
§ 1559. Selection of experts
The tests required by the court order under section 1558 chapter 61, subchapter 6 must be made by experts qualified as examiners of blood or tissue types who are appointed by the court. The experts may be called by the court as witnesses to testify to their findings and may be subject to cross-examination by the parties. A party or person at whose suggestion the tests have been ordered may demand that other experts, qualified as examiners of blood or tissue types, perform independent tests under order of court, the results of which may be offered in evidence. The court shall determine the number and qualifications of those experts.
Sec. B-7. 19-A MRSA §1560, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.
Sec. B-8. 19-A MRSA §1561, as amended by PL 1997, c. 537, §18 and affected by §62, is further amended to read:
§ 1561. Effect of test results
The court shall admit as evidence the results of any genetic test that is of a type generally acknowledged as reliable by accreditation bodies designated by the federal Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and performed by a laboratory approved by such an accredited body.
Sec. B-9. 19-A MRSA §1562, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.
Sec. B-10. 19-A MRSA §1563, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.
Sec. B-11. 19-A MRSA §1564, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.
Sec. B-12. 19-A MRSA §1565, as amended by PL 2007, c. 164, §1, is further amended to read:
§ 1565. Judgment
Sec. B-13. 19-A MRSA §1568, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.
Sec. B-14. 19-A MRSA §1570, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
§ 1570. Dismissals
Sec. B-15. Maine Revised Statutes headnote amended; revision clause. In the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 19-A, chapter 53, subchapter 1, in the subchapter headnote, the words "uniform act on paternity" are amended to read "paternity" and the Revisor of Statutes shall implement this revision when updating, publishing or republishing the statutes.
PART C
Sec. C-1. 4 MRSA §183, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2005, c. 384, §1, is further amended to read:
(1) Interim orders in actions involving the establishment, modification or enforcement of child support;
(2) Interim orders in actions involving divorce, legal separation, paternity parentage or parental rights, including interim orders in postjudgment proceedings arising out of these actions, except that a contested motion concerning interim parental rights and responsibilities, excluding interim child support orders, may be determined by the family law magistrate only if both parties consent to determination of the issue or issues in dispute by the family law magistrate;
(2-A) Parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact orders entered pursuant to Title 19-A, section 4006, subsection 5 and section 4007, subsection 1, paragraph G to make such orders consistent with subsequently entered orders in matters included in subparagraphs (1), (2) and (3);
(3) Final orders in any of the matters included in subparagraphs (1) and (2) when the proceeding is uncontested;
(4) Final orders in a contested proceeding when child support is the only contested issue;
(4-A) Applications for writs of habeas corpus to facilitate the attendance of proceedings by and return of a party who is incarcerated;
(4-B) Requests for access to confidential Department of Health and Human Services child protective records in accordance with Title 22, section 4008. The family law magistrate may review records in camera to determine whether to grant access; and
(5) Other actions assigned by the Chief Judge of the District Court.
Sec. C-2. 14 MRSA §704-A, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. D, §14 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is further amended to read:
Sec. C-3. 18-A MRSA §2-109, sub-§(2), as amended by PL 1987, c. 736, §37, is further amended to read:
Sec. C-4. 18-A MRSA §5-101, sub-§(1-D) is enacted to read:
Sec. C-5. 18-A MRSA §9-102, sub-§(h), as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. C, §7 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-6. 19-A MRSA §251, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-7. 19-A MRSA §606, first ¶, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Except as otherwise provided in this section, an effective premarital agreement is void 18 months after the parties to the agreement become biological or adoptive parents or guardians of a minor. The premarital agreement is not void if, within the 18-month period, the parties sign a written amendment to the agreement either stating that the agreement remains in effect or altering the agreement. Sections 607 and 608 apply to any amendment under this section.
Sec. C-8. 19-A MRSA §1503, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.
Sec. C-9. 19-A MRSA §1601, sub-§1, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-10. 19-A MRSA §1605, sub-§2, ¶G, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-11. 19-A MRSA §1605, sub-§2, ¶J, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
(1) The department will provide an expert examiner of blood or tissue types to conduct blood or tissue-typing tests on the mother, child and alleged father and the tests will be conducted as follows.
(a) The alleged father is required to submit to tests, which may include, but are not limited to, tests of red cell antigens, red cell isoenzymes, human leukocyte antigens and serum proteins.
(b) The department will pay the initial cost of the tests.
(c) An indigent alleged father is not liable for reimbursement of the cost of the tests;
(2) If the alleged father refuses to submit to tests under subparagraph (1), the proceeding will be filed in a court as a paternity proceeding;
(3) If the alleged father is not excluded by the test results and he does not, within 15 days of the ordinary mailing to him of a report and copy of the blood or tissue-typing results, execute and deliver to the department an acknowledgment of paternity of the child in accordance with the laws of the state in which the child was born, the proceeding will be filed in a court as a paternity proceeding; and
(4) If the alleged father is excluded by the test results as the biological genetic father of the child, the proceeding will be filed in a court as a paternity proceeding for disposition under section 1561, subsection 1, paragraph A chapter 61;
Sec. C-12. 19-A MRSA §1606, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-13. 19-A MRSA §1606, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-14. 19-A MRSA §1611, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
§ 1611. Refusal of alleged father to submit to blood or tissue-typing tests
Sec. C-15. 19-A MRSA §1612, sub-§§2 and 3, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, are amended to read:
Sec. C-16. 19-A MRSA §1616, as reallocated by RR 1997, c. 1, §15, is repealed.
Sec. C-17. 19-A MRSA §1651, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
§ 1651. Parents joint natural guardians of children
The father and mother parents are the joint natural guardians of their minor children and are jointly entitled to the care, custody, control, services and earnings of their children. Neither parent has any rights paramount to the rights of the other with reference to any matter affecting their children.
Sec. C-18. 19-A MRSA §1654, first ¶, as amended by PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. ZZZ, §34 and affected by §42, is further amended to read:
If the father and mother parents of a minor child are living apart, the Probate Court or District Court in the county or division where either resides, upon complaint of either and after notice to the other as the court may order, may make an order awarding parental rights and responsibilities with respect to the child in accordance with this chapter.
Sec. C-19. 19-A MRSA §1802, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-20. 19-A MRSA §2101, sub-§§3 and 12, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, are amended to read:
Sec. C-21. 19-A MRSA §2202, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-22. 19-A MRSA §2253, sub-§2, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. C-23. 19-A MRSA §3051, sub-§2, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 436, §28, is amended to read:
Sec. C-24. 19-A MRSA §4002, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2013, c. 478, §7, is further amended to read:
Sec. C-25. 22 MRSA §2761, sub-§3-A, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 260, §6, is amended to read:
Sec. C-26. 22 MRSA §4002, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 733, §18, is amended to read:
Sec. C-27. 22 MRSA §4005-F, first ¶, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 257, §1, is amended to read:
As part of a child protection proceeding, the District Court may determine parentage of the child. Title 19-A, sections 1558 to 1564 apply chapter 61 applies to determinations of parentage in a child protection proceeding.
Sec. C-28. 22 MRSA §4031, sub-§3, as corrected by RR 1999, c. 1, §29, is amended to read:
Sec. C-29. 22 MRSA §4036, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
PART D
Sec. D-1. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2016.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
summary
This amendment makes changes in the Maine Revised Statutes, Titles 4, 18-A, 19-A and 22 to conform to the Maine Parentage Act enacted in the bill. This amendment designates the content of the bill as Part A and adds Part B, Part C and Part D.
Part B consists of amendments to Title 19-A, chapter 53, subchapter 1, currently named the "Uniform Act on Paternity." The bill enacts Title 19-A, chapter 61, which replaces certain provisions in chapter 53, subchapter 1, and Part B repeals the provisions and sections that are no longer necessary. Part B amends certain provisions in chapter 53, subchapter 1, and the subchapter will still be used to establish paternity as required by federal law as necessary to determine responsibility for child support. The headnote for subchapter 1 is changed to "Paternity."
Part C makes changes to Title 4, Title 14, Title 18-A, Title 19-A and Title 22 to update cross-references and terminology to be consistent with Title 19-A, chapter 61.
This amendment retains section 2 of the bill as Part D, which establishes the effective date of this legislation as July 1, 2016.