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1993.11.29 :  Paternity Establishment Rules

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              Contact:  David Siegel
Monday, Nov. 29, 1993                        (202) 401-9215

More than one million children are born each year to unwed
mothers.  Many will never have legal paternity established nor
receive child support.  Under proposed regulations issued today by
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala, a father will be able to
acknowledge the paternity of his child born out-of-wedlock by a
simple process at the time of birth.

"Far too many children are denied support by their fathers because
legal paternity has not been established," Secretary Shalala said. 
"Our proposed rules seek to meet the president's goal of enabling
states to establish paternity early and accurately."

The proposed rules implement provisions of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993, including those that provide for
paternity acknowledgment in the hospital or at other times outside
of hospitals.  States must include due process safeguards and an
explanation of the rights and responsibilities of acknowledging
paternity.  States must also ensure that voluntary paternity
acknowledgment is a basis for seeking a child support obligation.

While some states have paternity acknowledgment programs in
selected hospitals or use expedited legal decision-making
processes in contested paternity cases, the new requirements will
build on these effective practices and make them applicable across
the country.  The federal government already pays much of state 
administrative costs for support enforcement services, including
90 percent of laboratory testing costs related to paternity
establishment.  The act also requires states to adopt a variety of
procedures to streamline the process in cases where the alleged
father is unwilling to acknowledge paternity voluntarily.  The
goal is to establish more paternities in less time without
infringing on the rights of any party to the paternity action.

"We all pay the price when a parent abandons his child, but the
child suffers most of all," said HHS' Assistant Secretary for
Children and Families Mary Jo Bane.  "Establishing paternity is
critical to ensuring children get the financial support they need
and deserve from both parents."

When paternity is established, the child obtains the right of
inheritance from both parents as well as other benefits such as
Social Security, medical and life insurance.  Establishing
paternity can also help to provide information regarding inherited
medical conditions and other hereditary factors.  Paternity is
also the first step in obtaining a child support order, which
would ensure financial support.

Written comments on the proposed regulations, which are published
in today's Federal Register, must be received within 60 days. 
Comments should be sent to: Director, Office of Child Support
Enforcement, Administration for Children and Families, 370
L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20447.