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Texas Family Code - Section 161.109. Requirement Of Paternity Registry Certificate

Legal Research Home > Texas Lawyer > Family Code > Texas Family Code - Section 161.109. Requirement Of Paternity Registry Certificate

§ 161.109. REQUIREMENT OF PATERNITY REGISTRY 
CERTIFICATE.  (a) If an affidavit of status of child as provided by 
this chapter states that the father of the child is unknown and no 
probable father is known, a certificate from the bureau of vital 
statistics signed by the registrar that a diligent search has been 
made of the paternity registry maintained by the bureau and that a 
registration has not been found pertaining to the father of the 
child in question must be filed with the court before a trial on the 
merits in the suit for termination may be held.
	(b)  In a proceeding to terminate parental rights in which 
the alleged or probable father has not been personally served with 
citation or signed an affidavit of relinquishment or an affidavit 
of waiver of interest, the court may not terminate the parental 
rights of the alleged or probable father, whether known or unknown, 
unless a certificate from the bureau of vital statistics signed by 
the registrar states that a diligent search has been made of the 
paternity registry maintained by the bureau and that a filing or 
registration has not been found pertaining to the father of the 
child in question.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 561, § 12, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.          

Last modified: August 11, 2007