FL: Child-support bill clears panel

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs...73241329538852

Child-support bill clears panel
House committee votes to allow man to end support if he's not the dad
By Stephen D. Price
CAPITOL BUREAU


The House Justice Council committee passed a bill Monday that would let a
man end his child-support obligation if he proves he's not the biological
father.

The bill will now go to the House floor. The Senate is moving on a similar
bill.

"Guys like us get caught in this situation because some women want money any
way they can, and it seems the law won't support us," said Tony Winbush, who
said he's a victim of paternity fraud, before the committee. "I don't think
it's right."

Florida law requires that child support - once legally established -
continue until the child's 18th birthday, regardless of who the biological
father is. Eleven states, including Georgia, have changed similar laws since
1994.

Rep. Curtis Richardson, D-Tallahassee, who sponsored the bill, was
approached in 2004 by two Quincy residents - Winbush and Bobby Rhames - who
spoke of paying thousands of dollars in child support after DNA tests proved
they could not be the biological fathers.

The men went to Carnell Smith of Georgia, a paternity-challenge advocate who
has worked with various states to get so-called "paternity-fraud" bills
passed. Smith worked with legislators in Georgia to get a similar bill
passed in 2002.

An amendment to the bill by Rep. John Quinones, R-Kissimmee, would have
required courts to consider the best interest of the child before deciding
to end child support, but the amendment was voted down.

"I certainly understand what Representative Quinones is attempting to do,"
Richardson told the committee. "But I consider this amendment to be hostile.
It continues to add subjectivity to the bill."

Quinones said he sympathized with the men who were "defrauded" to pay
child-support for someone who was not their biological child, but said, "The
child should matter."

Contact Democrat senior writer Stephen D. Price at (850) 671-6548 or
.

"Dusty" wrote
...................
Quinones said he sympathized with the men who were "defrauded" to pay
child-support for someone who was not their biological child, but said,
"The child should matter."
===
BS!! If the child mattered, they'd require accounting for CS received and
enforce NCP's
rights to access. Anyway, hopefully thisbill will pass. Now, if they'd
prosecute
paternity fraud cases...
==

Well....at least one state is on the right track.....now if other
states will follow suit....

When my yougest son was born 7 months ago in Texas....My husband was
actually asked at the hospital if he wanted to have genetic testing
before the child left the hospital. When he said no...the nurse
advised him that he should procede with the testing BEFORE he signed
the birth certificate, in the event that there was any questions about
the biological father....it could avoid him being held
responsible.....(we had to have fertility help in getting this
child...so we already knew it WAS my husbands, unless the Lab screwed
up)

I remember thinking that this was a good idea....Maybe all hospital's
should offer genetic testing at birth. Maybe this could save a lot of
men from a lifetime of fraud. Even if the man doesn't concent to
paternity testing...the baby should have a genitic profile done at
birth...so that later, when a man is served with papers...he can choose
to also have a genitic test done to compare with that of the child,
before a court order can be made.