State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_SB1259eng

      735 ILCS 5/2-1401         from Ch. 110, par. 2-1401
          Amends the Code of  Civil  Procedure.   Provides  that  a
      petition  for  relief from any judgment establishing a parent
      and child relationship may be filed at any  time  to  declare
      the  non-existence  of the parent and child relationship by a
      man adjudicated to be the father.  Provides that an affidavit
      shall be attached to the petition stating either (1) that the
      parties have submitted to DNA tests and that the  results  of
      those  tests show that there is a reasonable probability that
      the plaintiff is not the parent of the child, with  a  report
      containing  the results of the test attached, or (2) that the
      affiant is willing to submit to and pay for  DNA  tests,  but
      that the natural mother or the child has refused to submit to
      such  test.   Provides  that if, as a result of the DNA tests
      the plaintiff is determined not  to  be  the  father  of  the
      child, the adjudication of paternity and any orders regarding
      custody,  visitation, and future payments of support shall be
      vacated.  Bars actions in cases in which the paternity of the
      petitioner has previously been established  by  a  DNA  test.
      Effective immediately.
                                                    LRB9008459SMdvA
SB1259 Engrossed                              LRB9008459SMdvA
 1        AN ACT concerning parentage.
 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:
 4        Section 5.  The Illinois Parentage Act of 1984 is amended
 5    by changing Sections 5, 7, and 8 as follows:
 6        (750 ILCS 45/5) (from Ch. 40, par. 2505)
 7        Sec. 5.  Presumption of Paternity.
 8        (a)  A man is presumed to be  the  natural  father  of  a
 9    child if:
10             (1)  he  and  the child's natural mother are or have
11        been married to each other, even though the  marriage  is
12        or  could  be  declared invalid, and the child is born or
13        conceived during such marriage;
14             (2)  after the child's birth,  he  and  the  child's
15        natural  mother  have married each other, even though the
16        marriage is or could  be  declared  invalid,  and  he  is
17        named, with his written consent, as the child's father on
18        the child's birth certificate;
19             (3)  he  and  the child's natural mother have signed
20        an acknowledgment of paternity in accordance  with  rules
21        adopted  by  the  Illinois Department of Public Aid under
22        Section 10-17.7 of the Illinois Public Aid Code; or
23             (4)  he and the child's natural mother  have  signed
24        an  acknowledgment of parentage or, if the natural father
25        is someone other than one presumed to be the father under
26        this Section, an acknowledgment of parentage  and  denial
27        of  paternity  in accordance with Section 12 of the Vital
28        Records Act.
29        (b)  A presumption under subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2)  of
30    this  Section  may  be  rebutted only by clear and convincing
31    evidence. A presumption under subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2) is
SB1259 Engrossed            -2-               LRB9008459SMdvA
 1    rebutted if it is shown by a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test
 2    that the man is not  the  natural  father  of  the  child.  A
 3    presumption under subdivision (a)(3) or (a)(4) is conclusive,
 4    unless the acknowledgment of parentage is rescinded under the
 5    process provided in Section 12 of the Vital Records Act, upon
 6    the earlier of:
 7             (1)  60  days  after  the date the acknowledgment of
 8        parentage is signed, or
 9             (2)  the  date  of  an  administrative  or  judicial
10        proceeding relating to the child (including a  proceeding
11        to establish a support order) in which the signatory is a
12        party;
13    except  that  if  a  minor  has  signed the acknowledgment of
14    paternity  or  acknowledgment  of  parentage  and  denial  of
15    paternity, the presumption becomes conclusive 6 months  after
16    the minor reaches majority or is otherwise emancipated.
17    (Source: P.A. 89-641, eff. 8-9-96; 90-18, eff. 7-1-97.)
18        (750 ILCS 45/7) (from Ch. 40, par. 2507)
19        Sec.  7.  Determination of Father and Child Relationship;
20    Who May Bring Action; Parties.
21        (a)  An action to determine the existence of  the  father
22    and child relationship, whether or not such a relationship is
23    already  presumed under Section 5 of this Act, may be brought
24    by the child; the mother; a pregnant  woman;  any  person  or
25    public  agency  who  has  custody  of, or is providing or has
26    provided  financial  support  to,  the  child;  the  Illinois
27    Department of Public Aid if it is providing or  has  provided
28    financial  support  to  the  child or if it is assisting with
29    child support collection  services;  or  a  man  presumed  or
30    alleging  himself  to  be the father of the child or expected
31    child.  The complaint shall be verified and  shall  name  the
32    person or persons alleged to be the father of the child.
SB1259 Engrossed            -3-               LRB9008459SMdvA
 1        (b)  An action to declare the non-existence of the parent
 2    and  child  relationship  may  be  brought  by the child, the
 3    natural mother, or a man presumed  to  be  the  father  under
 4    subdivision  (a)(1)  or  (a)(2)  of  Section  5  of this Act.
 5    Actions brought  by  the  child,  the  natural  mother  or  a
 6    presumed father shall be brought by verified complaint.
 7        After  the  presumption  that  a  man  presumed to be the
 8    father under subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2) of  Section  5  has
 9    been  rebutted,  paternity of the child by another man may be
10    determined in the same action, if he has been made a party.
11        (b-5)  An action to  declare  the  non-existence  of  the
12    parent and child relationship may be brought subsequent to an
13    adjudication   of  paternity  in  any  judgment  by  the  man
14    adjudicated to be the father pursuant to the presumptions  in
15    Section  5  of  this  Act if, as a result of deoxyribonucleic
16    acid (DNA) tests, it is discovered that the  man  adjudicated
17    to  be  the  father  is  not the natural father of the child.
18    Actions brought by the adjudicated father shall be brought by
19    verified complaint.  If, as a result of the  deoxyribonucleic
20    acid  (DNA)  tests, the plaintiff is determined not to be the
21    father of the child, the adjudication of  paternity  and  any
22    orders  regarding custody, visitation, and future payments of
23    support may be vacated.
24        (c)  If  any  party  is  a  minor,  he  or  she  may   be
25    represented  by  his or her general guardian or a guardian ad
26    litem  appointed  by  the  court,  which   may   include   an
27    appropriate agency.  The court may align the parties.
28        (d)  Regardless  of its terms, an agreement, other than a
29    settlement approved by  the  court,  between  an  alleged  or
30    presumed  father  and  the  mother  or child, does not bar an
31    action under this Section.
32        (e)  If an action under this Section  is  brought  before
33    the birth of the child, all proceedings shall be stayed until
34    after the birth, except for service or process, the taking of
SB1259 Engrossed            -4-               LRB9008459SMdvA
 1    depositions  to  perpetuate  testimony,  and  the ordering of
 2    blood tests under appropriate circumstances.
 3    (Source: P.A. 89-674, eff. 8-14-96; 90-18, eff. 7-1-97.)
 4        (750 ILCS 45/8) (from Ch. 40, par. 2508)
 5        Sec. 8.  Statute of limitations.
 6        (a) (1)  An action brought by or on behalf of a child, an
 7        action brought by a party alleging that he or she is  the
 8        child's  natural  parent,  or  an  action  brought by the
 9        Illinois Department of Public Aid, if it is providing  or
10        has  provided  financial support to the child or if it is
11        assisting with child support collection  services,  shall
12        be  barred  if brought later than 2 years after the child
13        reaches the age of majority; however, if  the  action  on
14        behalf  of the child is brought by a public agency, other
15        than the Illinois Department  of  Public  Aid  if  it  is
16        providing  or has provided financial support to the child
17        or if it  is  assisting  with  child  support  collection
18        services, it shall be barred 2 years after the agency has
19        ceased to provide assistance to the child.
20             (2)  Failure to bring an action within 2 years shall
21        not  bar any party from asserting a defense in any action
22        to declare the non-existence  of  the  parent  and  child
23        relationship.
24             (3)  An  action  to declare the non-existence of the
25        parent and child relationship brought under Section  7(b)
26        of this Act shall be barred if brought later than 2 years
27        after the petitioner obtains knowledge of relevant facts.
28        The  2-year  period for bringing an action to declare the
29        nonexistence of the parent and child  relationship  shall
30        not extend beyond the date on which the child reaches the
31        age  of  18  years.  Failure  to bring an action within 2
32        years shall not bar any party from asserting a defense in
SB1259 Engrossed            -5-               LRB9008459SMdvA
 1        any action to declare the existence  of  the  parent  and
 2        child relationship.
 3             (4)  An  action  to  declare the nonexistence of the
 4        parent  and  child  relationship  brought  under  Section
 5        7(b-5) of this Act shall be barred if brought more than 3
 6        months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of
 7        1998 or more than 2 years after  the  petitioner  obtains
 8        actual  knowledge  of relevant facts, whichever is later.
 9        The 2 year period shall not  apply  to  periods  of  time
10        where  the  natural mother or the child refuses to submit
11        to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests.  The 2-year  period
12        for bringing an action to declare the nonexistence of the
13        parent and child relationship shall not extend beyond the
14        date  on  which  the  child  reaches the age of 18 years.
15        Failure to bring an action within 2 years shall  not  bar
16        any  party  from  asserting  a  defense  in any action to
17        declare  the  existence   of   the   parent   and   child
18        relationship.
19        (b)  The  time  during  which any party is not subject to
20    service of  process  or  is  otherwise  not  subject  to  the
21    jurisdiction  of  the  courts  of  this  State shall toll the
22    aforementioned periods.
23        (c)  This Act does not affect the time within  which  any
24    rights  under  the Probate Act of 1975 may be asserted beyond
25    the time provided by law relating to distribution and closing
26    of decedent's estates or to the determination of heirship, or
27    otherwise.
28    (Source: P.A. 89-674, eff. 8-14-96; 90-18, eff. 7-1-97.)
29        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
30    becoming law.

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