NASHVILLE — Men can stop making child support payments after learning through genetic testing the child was actually fathered by someone else under legislation approved this morning by the House.
House Bill 805, sponsored by Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, passed on a 66-24 vote. Three lawmakers abstained.
Rep. Campfield, who has dubbed the measure the “baby daddy bill,” said the issue is fairness. It would not apply in cases where the man has legally adopted the child. Another provision says support payments must continue for 60 days after childhood is “disestablished.”
Rep. Mark Maddox, D-Dresden, questioned the impact.
“What about the child?” he asked. “Suddenly this woman — yes, she did wrong — is going to be left to fend for herself and that child. Maybe the real father can be found. Maybe not.”
The Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Sen. Dewayne Bunch, R-Cleveland, and remains in the Judiciary Committee.
Text Size:
Excellent. About time that some laws were adjusted to meet the actual facts and evidence.
"What about the child?" Maybe the woman should have thought about that before fooling around on the guy she was supposedly committed to, then sticking him with the bill for raising her illegitimate kid. She knows who the real "baby daddy" is (unless she's a real s***, and even then she can probably narrow it down) so she should be responsible for tracking him down and getting the right guy to pay up.
Not only that, but if she knew or should have known that the guy paying child support wasn't the father and accepted the money anyway, she should be prosecuted for fraud and/or the defrauded guy should be able to sue her to recover the full amount he paid her in child support.
“What about the child?” he asked. “Suddenly this woman — yes, she did wrong — is going to be left to fend for herself and that child. - Rep. Mark Maddox
PERHAPS MARK MADDOX COULD PICKUP THE TAB IN THIS CASE SINCE HE IS SO CONCERNED.
I recently discussed this very issue on a local Nashville television show. Google my name and you can view the entire interview. A local Mboro paper did a story on this issue in 2007. The judges complained about the increasing incidents of paternity fraud. Unfortunately I didn't see that any mentioned the already existing laws concerning Aggravated Perjury -- a felony in TN punishable by imprisonment. It is not only unfair for a woman to take the wrong man to court for child support payments. It's against the law for her to lie under oath in court. Guys, get your lawyers up on this and start demanding that women be held accountable for violating this law! Barry Jernigan, President, National Coalition For Men, Kentucky/Tennessee Chapter