4013: FLOOR ANALYSIS (5-20-04) - PREGNANCY AND BIRTH EXPENSES

PREGNANCY AND BIRTH EXPENSES H.B. 4013 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS

House Bill 4013 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Representative Gary A. Newell
House Committee: Judiciary
Senate Committee: Families and Human Services

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Paternity Act to provide for the abatement of a father's costs related to the confinement and pregnancy of the mother of a child born out of wedlock, if the father married the mother after the child's birth.

Under the Act, the parents of a child born out of wedlock are liable for the child(s necessary education and support, as well as the child(s funeral expenses. The Act provides that the father is liable to pay the expenses of the mother(s confinement and the expenses connected with her pregnancy, as the court in its discretion may deem proper.

Under the bill, the court order would have to provide that if the father married the mother after the child(s birth and provided documentation of the marriage to the Friend of the Court (FOC), his obligation for payment of any remaining expenses would be abated subject to reinstatement after notice and hearing for good cause shown, including dissolution of the marriage. The remaining unpaid amount would be abated as of the date that documentation was given to the FOC.

The bill specifies that each order for confinement and pregnancy expenses entered by the court on or before the bill's effective date would be considered by operation of law to provide for the abatement of the remaining unpaid expenses if the father married the mother, and would have to be implemented under the same circumstances and enforced in the same manner as provided for the abatement of confinement and pregnancy expenses, as described above.

The bill would take effect on October 1, 2004.

MCL 722.712 Legislative Analyst: Julie Koval

FISCAL IMPACT

It appears that the bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government. A mother's Medicaid eligibility is not determined by whether child support is being received; therefore, the bill would have no impact on Medicaid expenditures.

Date Completed: 5-20-04
Fiscal Analyst: Constance Cole

Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb4013/0304 This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.