The bill enacts the Revised Uniform Parentage Act in New Mexico, which aims to clarify the determination of parentage, assisted reproduction, and surrogacy agreements. It introduces new definitions and provisions regarding parent-child relationships, emphasizing that these relationships extend equally to all children, regardless of the parents' marital status. The act outlines processes for voluntary acknowledgment and denial of parentage, ensuring that such acknowledgments confer all parental rights and duties. Additionally, it establishes data privacy in parentage proceedings, specifies court jurisdiction, and eliminates fees for filing acknowledgments or denials of parentage. The existing New Mexico Uniform Parentage Act is repealed, and the new act provides a comprehensive framework for addressing parentage issues.

The bill also includes provisions for genetic testing, adjudication of parentage, and the rights of individuals involved in these proceedings. It mandates that genetic testing be performed by accredited laboratories and establishes guidelines for the admissibility of testing results as evidence. Furthermore, the legislation clarifies the legal status of donors in assisted reproduction and sets requirements for surrogacy agreements, including the need for independent legal representation. It emphasizes the rights and responsibilities of intended parents and surrogates, ensuring that intended parents are recognized as legal parents upon birth. The bill aims to modernize and streamline the legal framework surrounding parentage, child support, and assisted reproduction, prioritizing the best interests of children throughout these processes.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 24-14-13, 24-14-16, 32A-5-20, 40-4-9.1, 40-4-20, 40-9-2, 40-10B-3, 45-1-301