2009 Iowa Code
Title 4 - Public Health
Subtitle 2 - Health-Related Activities
CHAPTER 144 - VITAL STATISTICS
144.12A - DECLARATION OF PATERNITY REGISTRY.

        144.12A  DECLARATION OF PATERNITY REGISTRY.
         1.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
      requires:
         a.  "Child" means a person under eighteen years of age for
      whom paternity has not been established.
         b.  "Court" means the juvenile court.
         c.  "Father" means the male, biological parent of a child.
         d.  "Putative father" means a man who is alleged to be or who
      claims to be the biological father of a child born to a woman to whom
      the man is not married at the time of the birth of the child.
         e.  "Registrant" means a person who has registered pursuant to
      this section and who claims to be the father of a child.
         f.  "Registrar" means the state registrar of vital statistics.

         g.  "Registry" means the declaration of paternity registry
      established in this section.
         2. a.  The registrar shall establish a declaration of
      paternity registry to record the name, address, social security
      number, and any other identifying information required by rule of the
      department of a putative father who wishes to register under this
      section prior to the birth of a child and no later than the date of
      the filing of the petition for termination of parental rights.
         b.  The declaration does not constitute an affidavit of
      paternity filed pursuant to section 252A.3 and declarations filed
      shall be maintained by the registrar in a registry distinct from the
      registry used to maintain affidavits of paternity filed pursuant to
      section 252A.3.  A declaration of paternity filed with the registry
      may be used as evidence of paternity in an action to establish
      paternity or to determine a support obligation with respect to the
      putative father.
         c.  Failure or refusal to file a declaration of paternity
      shall not be used as evidence to avoid a legally established
      obligation of financial support for a child.
         3.  A person who files a declaration of paternity with the
      registrar shall include in the declaration all of the following:
         a.  The person's name, current address, social security
      number, and any other identifying information requested by the
      department.  If the person filing the declaration of paternity
      changes the person's address, the person shall notify the registrar
      of the new address in a manner prescribed by the department.
         b.  The name, last known address, and social security number,
      if known, of the mother of the child, or any other identifying
      information requested by the department.
         c.  The name of the child, if known, and the date and location
      of the birth of the child, if known.
         d.  The registrar shall accept a declaration of paternity
      filed in accordance with this section.
         e.  The registrar shall forward a copy of the declaration to
      the mother as notification that the person has registered with the
      registry.
         f.  The registrar shall accept and immediately register, upon
      receipt, a declaration of paternity without a fee and without the
      signature of the biological mother.  The registrar may charge a
      reasonable fee as established by rule of the department for
      processing searches of the registry.
         4.  The department shall, upon request, provide the name, address,
      social security number, and any other identifying information of a
      registrant to the biological mother of the child; a court; the
      department of human services; the attorney of any party to an
      adoption, termination of parental rights, or establishment of
      paternity or support action; or to the child support recovery unit
      for an action to establish paternity or support.  The information
      shall not be divulged to any other person and shall be considered a
      confidential record as to any other person, except upon order of the
      court for good cause shown.  If the registry has not received a
      declaration of paternity, the department shall provide a written
      statement to that effect to the person making the inquiry.
         5. a.  Information provided to the registry may be revoked by
      the registrant by submission of a written statement signed and
      acknowledged by the registrant before a notary public.
         b.  The statement shall include a declaration that to the best
      of the registrant's knowledge, the registrant is not the father of
      the named child or that paternity of the true father has been
      established.
         c.  Revocation nullifies the registration and the information
      provided by the registrant shall be expunged.
         d.  Revocation is effective only following the birth of the
      child.
         6.  The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement and
      administer this section.  The rules shall include establishment of
      sites throughout the state for local distribution of declaration of
      paternity registration forms.  

         94 Acts, ch 1174, §2; 95 Acts, ch 67, § 12
         Referred to in § 22.7, 233.2, 252K.201, 600A.6, 600A.7