This bill amends Section 26-17-636 of the Code of Alabama 1975, concerning child support and the adjudication of parentage. The amendment includes a provision that allows for the retroactivity of child support payments. Specifically, if a child support order is entered within the first year after the birth of the child, the order will be retroactive to nine months prior to the birth of the child. This is a new insertion into the existing law. Additionally, the bill removes language that previously directed the father to pay the reasonable expenses of the mother's pregnancy and confinement.

Other aspects of the existing law remain largely unchanged, such as the court's ability to issue orders adjudicating parentage, identify the child, assess fees and costs, and order the Alabama Office of Vital Statistics to issue an amended birth certificate if the court's order varies from the information on the birth certificate. The bill also maintains that the court's order is determinative for all purposes, including the establishment of support payments and provisions for medical support or health insurance. The act is set to become effective on October 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 30-3-155
Engrossed: 26-17-636