SB 422 is a comprehensive bill that seeks to modernize and make more inclusive the language and procedures related to the establishment of parentage and the documentation of birth records in New Hampshire. The bill replaces the term "paternity" with "parentage" and introduces the term "non-birth parent" to include parents who did not give birth to the child, such as genetic parents or intended parents in assisted reproduction cases, while excluding gamete donors. It also updates the language on birth worksheets, replacing "husband" with "spouse" and omitting "natural" when referring to the father. The bill mandates the disclosure of voluntary acknowledgments and adjudications of parentage for state registry purposes and revises the information required in medical reports and statistical data regarding the mother and child.
The bill also addresses the procedures for certifying births in various settings, specifying who should sign the birth worksheet and be named as the certifier. It changes the term "unwed" to "unmarried" and allows for the inclusion of "other non-birth parent" information on birth records. The bill outlines the process for completing birth worksheets in non-hospital births and the registration of births in unincorporated areas. It provides for the correction of birth records, including changes to the child's surname and the inclusion of a spouse's name. Additionally, the bill details the requirements for completing an affidavit of parentage and the process for preparing a new birth record following a determination of parentage. The bill includes several insertions and deletions to update the language and make it more inclusive, such as changing "unwed" to "unmarried" and "husband" to "spouse."
Statutes affected: Introduced: 5-C:1, 5-C:9, 5-C:19, 5-C:20, 5-C:21, 5-C:22, 5-C:23, 5-C:24, 5-C:25, 5-C:26, 5-C:27, 5-C:28, 5-C:30, 5-C:63, 5-C:76, 5-C:77, 5-C:107, 168-B:2, 546-B:27, 561:4
As Amended by the Senate: 5-C:1, 5-C:9, 5-C:19, 5-C:20, 5-C:21, 5-C:22, 5-C:23, 5-C:24, 5-C:25, 5-C:26, 5-C:27, 5-C:28, 5-C:30, 5-C:63, 5-C:76, 5-C:77, 5-C:107, 168-B:2, 546-B:27, 561:4
As Amended by the House: 5-C:1, 5-C:9, 5-C:19, 5-C:20, 5-C:21, 5-C:22, 5-C:23, 5-C:24, 5-C:25, 5-C:26, 5-C:27, 5-C:28, 5-C:30, 5-C:63, 5-C:76, 5-C:77, 5-C:107, 168-B:2, 546-B:27, 561:4