50-15-210. Paternity acknowledgment. (1) Upon the birth of a child to a mother unmarried at the time of birth, the administrator or person in charge of a hospital or other institution in which the birth occurs or the midwife who attends the birth shall:
     (a) provide an opportunity for the child's mother and alleged father to complete an acknowledgment of paternity pursuant to 40-6-105;
     (b) provide written information, furnished by the department of public health and human services, describing the rights and responsibilities of paternity, the benefits of having a child's paternity established, and the child's right to receive support; and
     (c) forward a copy of an acknowledgment signed by the mother and the father to the department.
     (2) The hospital, institution, or midwife is entitled to reimbursement for reasonable costs of obtaining an acknowledgment. The department of public health and human services shall establish the amount of reasonable costs, not to exceed the amount for which federal financial participation is available, and the procedures for claiming reimbursement.
     (3) Hospitals, institutions, and midwives shall use forms prescribed by the department of public health and human services for the acknowledgment of paternity.
     (4) If the child is born in this state, the department of public health and human services shall file an acknowledgment received under 40-6-105 or this section with the child's certificate of birth. If the child was not born in this state or if an acknowledgment received under 40-6-105 or this section cannot be filed with the child's certificate of birth, the department shall file the acknowledgment in an acknowledgment registry created and maintained for that purpose.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 523, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 70, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 91, Ch. 552, L. 1997.