02/09/1994 01:30 PM House FIN

  HB 128    An  Act  relating  to   early  acknowledgement  of                 
            paternity for the child of an unmarried mother.                    
                                                                               
            CS HB 128 (FIN) was reported out of Committee with                 
            a "do pass" recommendation and  with a zero fiscal                 
            note  by  the  Department  of  Health  and  Social                 
            Services   and  a   fiscal  impact  note   by  the                 
            Department of Health and Social Services.                          
  HOUSE BILL 128                                                               
                                                                               
       "An Act  relating to early acknowledgement of paternity                 
       for the child of an unmarried mother."                                  
                                                                               
  RENEE  CHATMAN,  STAFF   TO  REPRESENTATIVE  BETTYE   DAVIS,                 
  explained  that  the non-support  of  children has  become a                 
  national epidemic with one-fourth of  children in the United                 
  States now living with  a single parent and an  estimated 60                 
  percent  spending at  least  part of  their  childhood in  a                 
  single-parent home.  In  also most half of these  cases, the                 
  absent parent does  not pay  child support.   Many of  these                 
                                                                               
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  children   are   born   out-of-wedlock   and  paternity   is                 
  established  in  only  30  percent  of  such  cases.    That                 
  interprets into  70 percent  of out-of-wedlock  births where                 
  there is no proof of paternity and no means to collect child                 
  support.                                                                     
                                                                               
  She added, the  proposed legislation  would add language  to                 
  A.S. 18.50 and would require the State registrar  to prepare                 
  a paternity acknowledgment  form to be  used at the time  of                 
  birth.   The form,  signed by  both parents,  will list  the                 
  father's  full  name and  social  security number  and would                 
  require the signature  of a  notary public.   The bill  also                 
  would  lay  out specific  responsibilities  of hospitals  or                 
  midwives to get  the proper information  on the form and  to                 
  distribute   appropriate   paternity   materials  from   the                 
  Department of Health and Social Services.                                    
                                                                               
  The legislation is  an attempt to get acknowledgment  at the                 
  time  when a  father is  particularly willing  to  develop a                 
  relationship  with  the  child,  which  would  benefit  both                 
  parties.  The child  would have the security of  knowing who                 
  his/her father  is and  could  gain access  to support  from                 
  Social Security, survivor and veteran benefits  and worker's                 
  compensation.   The  child  would also  be  entitled to  the                 
  father's inheritance, health insurance and would have access                 
  to the family medical history.                                               
                                                                               
  Ms.  Chatman provided the Committee  with Amendment #1 & #2.                 
  (Copies  on file).   The  amendments were  submitted at  the                 
  request of  the  Alaska Child  Support Enforcement  Division                 
  (CSED) and would be necessary to bring CSED into  compliance                 
  with the recent paternity changes resulting from the changes                 
  of the Reconciliation  Act of 1993.   If the amendments  are                 
  not added to  the legislation, CSED could  jeopardize losing                 
  funds.                                                                       
                                                                               
  ROD  MOURANT,  DEPUTY COMMISSIONER,  DEPARTMENT  OF REVENUE,                 
  noted  that the  Department strongly  endorses the  proposed                 
  legislation.   The establishment  of paternity  is the  most                 
  time consuming and expensive work done by the Department  of                 
  Revenue's Child Support Enforcement Division.                                
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE  CYNTHIA  TOOHEY  spoke  in  support  of  the                 
  proposed legislation.                                                        
                                                                               
  Representative Parnell MOVED  to adopt Amendment #1.   There                 
  being NO OBJECTION, it was adopted.                                          
                                                                               
  Co-Chair MacLean  MOVED to adopt Amendment #2.   There being                 
  NO OBJECTIONS, it was adopted.                                               
                                                                               
  Representative Martin MOVED to report CS SS HB 128 (FIN) out                 
                                                                               
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  of Committee  with individual  recommendations and with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal notes.  There being NO OBJECTION, it was                 
  so ordered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  CC SS HB  128 (FIN) was reported out of Committee with a "do                 
  pass"  recommendation and  with a  zero fiscal  note by  the                 
  Department of Health and Social Services and a fiscal impact                 
  note by the Department of Health and Social Services.                        
                                                                               
  (Tape Change HFC 94-28, Side 2).