THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	723
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to THE UNIFORM PARENTAGE ACT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 584, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§584-   Siblings; required parties; combining cases. (a) Any party to a case brought under this chapter may request the court to:

(1) Consolidate multiple cases, motions, or petitions pertaining to siblings with the same parents into a single case; or

(2) Add additional siblings with the same parents to a case, motion, or petition,

without any requirement for filing a new case, motion, or petition.

(b) The court shall combine cases, motions, and petitions as necessary for the purposes of this section."

SECTION 2. Section 584-20, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§584-20 Hearings and records; confidentiality. (a) Notwithstanding any other law concerning public hearings and records, any hearing or trial held under this chapter shall be held in closed court without admittance of any person other than those persons necessary to the action or proceeding. [All] Except as provided in subsection (c), all papers and records pertaining to the action or proceeding, whether part of the permanent record of the court or of a file in the department of health or elsewhere, shall be subject to inspection only upon consent of the court and all interested persons, or in exceptional cases only upon an order of the court for good cause shown.

(b) Upon paternity being established, the confidentiality requirement shall not extend to the judgment and all subsequently filed documents that are used in good faith for support and medical expenses, insurance, or enforcement purposes, except that the confidentiality requirement shall continue to apply to any references to a non-adjudicated alleged or presumed father.

(c) The judiciary shall post on its website the titles of all court filings and the minutes of court proceedings in cases brought under this chapter; provided that the judiciary shall redact information in which an individual has a significant privacy interest under section 92F-14."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Uniform Parentage Act; Filings; Minutes; Judiciary; Website; Attorney General; Siblings; Combined Case

Description:

Allows parties to a case brought under the Uniform Parentage Act to petition the court to consolidate multiple cases, motions, or petitions involving siblings with the same parents into a single case or add siblings with the same parents to a case, motion, or petition, without having to file a new case, motion, or petition. Requires the Judiciary to post the titles of all filings and all minutes in paternity cases to the Judiciary's website after redacting any information in which an individual has a significant privacy interest.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.