Section 168-A:2 Establishment of Paternity; Enforcement. - New Hampshire Statutes

   I. Paternity shall be established upon the filing of:
      (a) A petition to the superior court by the mother, putative father, child, or public authority chargeable by law with the support of the child and the granting of such petition by the court; or
      (b) An affidavit of paternity with the clerk of the town where the birth of the child occurred pursuant to RSA 5-C:24. The affidavit of paternity shall have the legal effect of establishing paternity without requiring further action pursuant to this chapter, unless rescinded pursuant to RSA 5-C:28.
   II. The courts of this state shall give full faith and credit to a determination of paternity made by another state, whether established by court or administrative order, through voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, or by operation of another state's law.
   III. If paternity has been established pursuant to paragraph I or II, the liabilities of the father may be enforced in the same or other proceedings by:
      (a) The mother, child, or the public authority which has furnished or may furnish the reasonable expenses of pregnancy, confinement, education or necessary support; or
      (b) Other persons, including private agencies, to the extent that they have furnished the reasonable expenses of pregnancy, confinement, education or necessary support.
   IV. If a presumption of paternity arises pursuant to RSA 522:4, I(d), the court shall issue a temporary order of support for the child pursuant to RSA 458-C pending final order on the issue of paternity.
   V. Upon determining paternity, the court shall provide a copy of the order to the department of state, division of vital records administration, except that the office of child support enforcement services shall provide the copy to the department of state, division of vital records administration in cases initiated by the department of health and human services.
   VI. Copies of bills for pregnancy, childbirth, and genetic paternity testing shall be admissible as evidence without requiring third-party foundation testimony, and shall constitute prima facie evidence of costs incurred for such services or for genetic paternity testing.

Source. 1971, 530:1. 1990, 250:4. 1994, 260:4. 1995, 310:182. 1997, 263:19, 20, eff. Aug. 18, 1997. 2003, 319:57, 58, eff. July 1, 2003. 2005, 268:3, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.