2016-06

Interstate Sharing of Putative Father Registry Information

SENATOR LUZ ESCAMILLA (UT) LAW & CRIMINAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE

WHEREAS, "putative father" means a man who may be the biological father of a child because the man had a sexual relationship with a woman to whom he is not married;

WHEREAS, "putative father registry" means a registry of putative fathers maintained and used by a state as part of its legal process for protecting a putative father's rights;

WHEREAS, "state" includes a state, district, or territory of the United States;

WHEREAS, because states do not share putative father registry information, a putative father must register with the state in which his child will be born to preserve the putative father's rights;

WHEREAS, a putative father may not know in which state his child will be born if the child's mother does not inform him of where she intends to give birth or if she misleads him about where
she intends to give birth;

WHEREAS, without accurate information about where his child will be born, a putative father does not know in which state he must register to preserve his rights;

WHEREAS, the United States Congress has not yet enacted legislation facilitating the interstate sharing of putative father registry information;

WHEREAS, Utah has created the Compact for Interstate Sharing of Putative Father Registry Information, which any state, district, or territory of the United States may join by enacting the
compact into state law:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) urges each state, district, and territory of the United States to enact the Compact
for Interstate Sharing of Putative Father Registry Information.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) urges the United States Congress to enact legislation that promotes the interstate sharing of putative father
registry information, while respecting state control over related public policies.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the legislative bodies of each state, district, and territory of the United States; the Majority Leader of the United States Senate; the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

THIS RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED ON APRIL 30, 2016, AT THE NHCSL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & BUSINESS BOARD OF ADVISORS MEETING HELD IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Sponsored by: Senator Luz Escamilla (UT)