To date, there’s still no activity on any of the bills the Caucus is currently tracking.

From day one, the Women’s Political Caucus joined forces with the Tennessee Alliance for Early Education and Governor Bredesen’s initial proposed pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) initiative several years ago.  There currently appears to be a divide brewing on whether its expansion should be limited to “the poor” or available for all children.  The Caucus has always supported equal educational opportunity regardless of economic status.

I want to thank those of you who responded to my request for input on SB3717 (Senator Tate) HB2964 (Rep. Hardaway)/  It requires mandatory “paternity testing before a father can be listed on a birth certificate.”  This bill was placed on the House subcommittee calendar Public Health and Family Assistance of Health and Human Resources, Wednesday, February 20 at 12:30 PM in LP29.  The meeting can also be viewed on Internet LIVE Stream at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/ under House Schedules.

It is likely the fiscal note will be very high since the state will be picking up the cost of paternity testing in many cases.

This legislation will require a paternity test in the case of every birth in Tennessee, whether the parents are married or not.  Mandatory paternity testing creates the presumption that the mother has been unfaithful to the father, rather than the current presumption in cases of married couples that the husband is the biological father of the child.

The legislation provides that if paternity testing is not done, then there shall be no father's name on the birth certificate.  This would be true even if the mother definitely knows who the father is but he cannot be located, and could also be the case where a man dies during the woman's pregnancy.  As a nation currently engaged in two wars, this could and certainly does happen.  If the father cannot be tested, then he is presumed not to be the father and his name will not go on the birth certificate.  The child would then be denied the father's social security benefits.

The message embedded in this proposed legislation is viewed by many as an affront to women and mothers.  We are hopeful the Bar Association will review SB3717/HB2964.

If you have strong feelings concerning this legislation, please contact members of the House Public Health and Family Assistance subcommittee.  Their contact information can be found at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/

Mary Pruitt, Chair, Chris Crider, Lois Deberry, Tom Dubois, JoAnne Favors, Sherry Jones, Debra Maggart and Jeanne Richardson

Thank you,
Holly Spann
Vice President, Legislation
Tennessee Women’s Political Caucus
Nashville Women’s Political Caucus

Archived reports

2/08/08

1/28/08