Bill Text: CA AB1352 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Father and child relationship: notice to a presumed father.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1352 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB1352-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
May 01, 2017 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 1352 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Friedman |
February 17, 2017 |
An act to amend Section 7635 of the Family Code, relating to parentage.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1352, as amended, Friedman.
Father and child relationship: notice to a presumed father.
The Uniform Parentage Act defines the parent and child relationship as the legal relationship existing between a child and the child’s parents, including the mother and child relationship and the father and child relationship. The act governs actions to establish the existence or nonexistence of the parent and child relationship and requires notice of an action to be served, among others, on a natural parent, each person presumed to be a parent, and each man alleged to be a natural father.
This bill would authorize in an adoption proceeding an action to establish the existence or nonexistence of the parent and child relationship without notice and an opportunity to be heard given to a presumed father if it is
specified factors are established by clear and convincing evidence evidence, including, among others, that the presumed father is not the biological father and the presumed father was so designated because of a reason other
than he receives the child into his home and openly holds out the child as his natural child. father, he has never had a relationship with the child, and notice is not in the best interest of the child.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 7635 of the Family Code is amended to read:7635.
(a) The child may, if under(b) (1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the The
natural parent, each person presumed to be a parent under Section 7611, and each man alleged to be the natural father, may be made parties and shall be given notice of the action in the manner prescribed in Section 7666 and an opportunity to be heard. Appointment of a guardian ad litem shall not be required for a minor who is a parent of the child who is the subject of the petition to establish parental relationship, unless the minor parent is unable to understand the nature of the proceedings or to assist counsel in preparing the case.
(2)(A)Notice of the action and an opportunity to be heard shall not be required to be given to a presumed father if all of the following conditions are met:
(i)It is established by clear and convincing evidence that the presumed father is not the biological father.
(ii)The court finds that the presumption was based on a subdivision of Section 7611 other than subdivision (d).
(B)For purposes of this paragraph, a genetic test demonstrating that a male other than the presumed father is the biological father shall constitute clear and convincing evidence that the presumed father is not the biological father.
(c) The court may align the parties.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), in an adoption proceeding, if it is established by clear and convincing evidence that a man presumed to be the child’s father under subdivision (a) of Section 7611 is not the biological father, and that he has never had a relationship with the child or attempted to have a relationship with the child or support the mother during her pregnancy with the child, and that he is not a presumed father under any other law, and it is not in the best interest of the child, the court has the discretion to conduct an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the presumption has been rebutted pursuant to Section 7612, and thereafter either dispense with notice to the presumed father, or require that notice of the proceedings be given in
accordance with Section 7666. Even if the presumption has been rebutted by clear and convincing evidence, the court retains full discretion to dispense with notice or require notice, as the court determines is appropriate for the specific facts of the case.
(d)
(e) In any initial or subsequent proceeding under this chapter where custody of, or visitation with, a minor child is in issue, the court may, if it determines it would be in the best interest of the minor child, appoint private counsel to represent the interests of the minor child pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3150) of
Part 2 of Division 8.
