Act No. 253

Public Acts of 2004

Approved by the Governor

July 23, 2004

Filed with the Secretary of State

July 23, 2004

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2004

STATE OF MICHIGAN

92ND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2004

Introduced by Rep. Newell

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4013

AN ACT to amend 1956 PA 205, entitled "An act to confer upon circuit courts jurisdiction over proceedings to compel and provide support of children born out of wedlock; to prescribe the procedure for determination of such liability; to authorize agreements providing for furnishing of such support and to provide for the enforcement thereof; and to prescribe penalties for the violation of certain provisions of this act," by amending section 2 (MCL 722.712), as amended by 1998 PA 113.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 2. (1) The parents of a child born out of wedlock are liable for the necessary support and education of the child. They are also liable for the child's funeral expenses. Subject to subsections (2) and (3), based on each parent's ability to pay and on any other relevant factor, the court may apportion, in the same manner as medical expenses of the child are divided under the child support formula, the reasonable and necessary expenses of the mother's confinement and expenses in connection with her pregnancy between the parents and require the parent who did not pay the expense to pay his or her share of the expense to the other parent. At the request of a person other than a parent who has paid the expenses of the mother's confinement or expenses in connection with her pregnancy, the court may order a parent against whom the request is made to pay to the person other than a parent the parent's share of the expenses.

(2) If a pregnancy or a complication of a pregnancy has been determined in another proceeding to have been the result of either a physical or sexual battery by a party to the case, the court shall apportion these expenses to the party who was the perpetrator of the battery.

(3) If medicaid has paid the confinement and pregnancy expenses of a mother under this section, the court shall not apportion confinement and pregnancy expenses to the mother. After the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection, based on the father's ability to pay and any other relevant factor, the court may apportion not more than 100% of the reasonable and necessary confinement and pregnancy costs to the father. If medicaid has not paid the confinement and pregnancy expenses of the mother under this section, the court shall require an itemized bill for the expenses upon request from the father before an apportionment is made.

(4) The court order shall provide that if the father marries the mother after the birth of the child and provides documentation of the marriage to the friend of the court, the father's obligation for payment of any remaining unpaid confinement and pregnancy expenses is abated subject to reinstatement after notice and hearing for good cause shown, including, but not limited to, dissolution of the marriage. The remaining unpaid amount of the confinement and pregnancy expenses owed by the father is abated as of the date that documentation of the marriage is provided to the friend of the court.

(5) Each confinement and pregnancy expenses order entered by the court on or before the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection shall be considered by operation of law to provide for the abatement of the remaining unpaid confinement and pregnancy expenses if the father marries the mother and shall be implemented under the same circumstances and enforced in the same manner as for the abatement of confinement and pregnancy expenses provided by subsection (4).

(6) The court shall admit in proceedings under this act a bill for funeral expenses, expenses of the mother's confinement, or expenses in connection with the mother's pregnancy, which bill constitutes prima facie evidence of the amount of those expenses, without third party foundation testimony.

(7) If the father dies, an order of filiation or a judicially approved settlement made before his death is enforceable against his estate in the same manner and way as a divorce decree.

(8) As used in this section, "medicaid" means the medical assistance program administered by the state under section 105 of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.105.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect October 1, 2004.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor