HB590 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Gil Isbell

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Children, paternity, to enable a man to challenge presumption of paternity if he believes he is the biological father of a child, positive test results in loss of standing for presumed father, Secs. 26-17-604, 26-17-607 am'd.

Summary

HB 590 would allow a man who is not the presumed father to petition for genetic testing to establish paternity, and if the test identifies him as the biological father, the court would declare him the father and end the presumed father's standing.

What This Bill Does

It allows a man who believes he is the biological father (but is not the presumed father) to seek genetic testing to establish paternity. If the testing shows he is the biological father, the court must find him as the father, which ends the presumed father's standing in related matters. It also sets a four-year deadline to file, with specific exceptions, and states that a presumed father who does not respond stops pursuing his status; standing can also end upon adoption or if the presumed father had contact with the mother during conception and held himself out as the father; the bill also clarifies jurisdiction-related issues.

Who It Affects

• Non-presumed fathers who believe they are the biological father, who would gain a pathway to obtain genetic testing and potentially be recognized as the legal father if the test confirms biological paternity.
• Presumed fathers and their families (including mothers and children), who could lose standing if another man is identified as the biological father, and who must respond to court proceedings or risk losing their status; standing to petition can also end upon adoption or certain conduct by the presumed father.

Key Provisions

• Allows a man who is not the presumed father to bring an action to prove paternity and orders genetic testing to establish paternity.
• If genetic testing identifies the man as the biological father, the court must make a finding of paternity in his favor, resulting in the loss of standing for the presumed father.
• A presumed father who fails to answer or participate is deemed to have ceased persisting as the presumed father.
• Imposes a four-year statute of limitations for non-presumed fathers to petition for establishment of paternity, with exceptions related to marriage timing, birth timing, lack of contact, not holding out as father, and whether the child has been adopted.
• Standing to petition ends upon adoption of the child, and also ends if the presumed father had physical contact with the mother during conception and had held himself out as the father at any time.
• Provides a clarification related to jurisdiction.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Paternity