Title 46b — Title 46b: Family Law

Sec. 46b-450. Short title: Connecticut Parentage Act. Sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, may be cited as the Connecticut Parentage Act. (P.A. 21-15, S. 1.) History: P.A. 21-15 effective January 1, 2022.

Sec. 46b-451. Definitions. As used in sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive: (1) “Acknowledged parent” means a person who has established a parent-child relationship under sections 46b-476 to 46b-487, inclusive. (2) “Adjudicated parent” means a person who has been adjudicated to…

Sec. 46b-452. Scope. (a) Sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, apply to a determination of parentage. (b) Sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, do not create, affect, enlarge or diminish the equitable powers of the courts of this state or parental rights or duties under the l…

Sec. 46b-453. Applicable law. The court shall apply the law of this state to determine parentage. The applicable law shall not depend on: (1) The place of birth of the child; or (2) the past or present residence of the child. (P.A. 21-15, S. 4.) History: P.A. 21-15 effective Janu…

Sec. 46b-454. Authorized court. Exceptions. (a) Petitions to adjudicate parentage shall be filed in the Family Division of the Superior Court, except that: (1) Petitions by an alleged genetic parent seeking to establish the alleged genetic parent's parentage pursuant to section 4…

Secs. 46b-455 to 46b-457. Reserved for future use. (B) PROCEEDING TO ADJUDICATE PARENTAGE

Sec. 46b-458. Standing to maintain proceedings. Subject to the provisions of sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, a proceeding to adjudicate parentage may be maintained by: (1) The child, if the child is eighteen years of age or older or, if the child is a minor, through a rep…

Sec. 46b-459. Notice of proceeding. (a) Notice of a proceeding to adjudicate parentage shall be given, by the petitioner for proceedings in the Superior Court and by the Court for proceedings in the Probate Court, to the following persons: (1) The person who gave birth to the chi…

Sec. 46b-460. Personal jurisdiction. (a) A court may adjudicate a person's parentage of a child only if the court has personal jurisdiction over that person. (b) A court of this state with jurisdiction to adjudicate parentage may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident …

Sec. 46b-461. Venue. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, of this section, venue for a proceeding to adjudicate parentage is in the judicial district in which: (1) The child resides; or (2) If the child shall not reside in this state, the petitioner or res…

Sec. 46b-462. Temporary order. (a) In a proceeding under sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, a court may issue a temporary order for child support if the order is consistent with the law of this state other than the provisions of sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, and th…

Sec. 46b-463. Child as party. Except as provided in sections 46b-129, 46b-129a and 46b-571, a minor child is a permissive party but not a necessary party to a proceeding under sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive. (P.A. 21-15, S. 11.) History: P.A. 21-15 effective January 1, 20…

Sec. 46b-464. Public access to proceedings and documents filed with court. (a) For proceedings in the Superior Court on family relations matters as described in section 46b-1, there shall be a presumption that courtroom proceedings shall be open to the public and that documents f…

Sec. 46b-465. Dismissal for want of prosecution. The court may dismiss a proceeding under sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, for want of prosecution only without prejudice. An order of dismissal for want of prosecution purportedly with prejudice is void and has only the effe…

Sec. 46b-466. Order adjudicating parentage. (a) An order adjudicating parentage shall identify the child in a manner provided by the law of this state other than sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive. (b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, the court may assess…

Sec. 46b-467. Court authority to order name of child changed. On request of a party and for good cause, the court in a proceeding under sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, may order the name of the child changed. If the court order changing the child's name varies from the na…

Sec. 46b-468. Binding effect of determination of parentage. (a) A party to an adjudication of parentage by a court acting under circumstances that satisfy the jurisdiction requirements of the applicable laws of this state, including the provisions of public act 21-15*, and any pe…

Sec. 46b-469. Adjudicating parentage of child with adjudicated parent. (a) If a child has an adjudicated parent, a proceeding to challenge the adjudication, brought by a person who was a party to the adjudication or received notice under section 46b-459, is governed by the Connec…

Sec. 46b-470. Data privacy. A proceeding under sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, is subject to the law of this state other than said sections, which govern the health, safety, privacy and liberty of a child or other person who could be affected by disclosure of information …

Sec. 46b-471. Establishment of parent-child relationship. A parent-child relationship is established between a person and a child if: (1) The person gives birth to the child, except as otherwise provided in sections 46b-521 to 46b-538, inclusive; (2) There is a presumption under …

Sec. 46b-472. No discrimination based on marital status or gender of parent or circumstance of birth of child. A parent-child relationship extends equally to every child and parent, regardless of the marital status or gender of the parent or the circumstances of the birth of the …

Sec. 46b-473. Consequences of establishing parentage. Unless parental rights are terminated, a parent-child relationship established under sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, applies for all purposes. (P.A. 21-15, S. 21.) History: P.A. 21-15 effective January 1, 2022.

Sec. 46b-474. Application of provisions to parent-child relationship. To the extent practicable, a provision of sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, applicable to a father-child relationship or applicable to a mother-child relationship shall apply to any parent-child relations…

Sec. 46b-475. Adjudicating competing claims of parentage. (a) Except as provided in public act 21-15*, in a proceeding to adjudicate competing claims of parentage of a child by two or more persons, the court shall adjudicate parentage in the best interest of the child, based on: …

Sec. 46b-476. Acknowlegment of parentage. A person who gave birth to a child and an alleged genetic parent of the child, a presumed parent under section 46b-488, or an intended parent under sections 46b-509 to 46b-517, inclusive, may sign an acknowledgment of parentage to establi…

Sec. 46b-477. Execution of acknowledgment of parentage. (a) An acknowledgment of parentage under section 46b-476 shall: (1) Be in a record signed by the person who gave birth to the child and by the person seeking to establish a parent-child relationship, and the signatures shall…

Sec. 46b-478. Rules for acknowledgment of parentage. (a) An acknowledgment of parentage may be signed before or after the birth of the child, except that an acknowledgment signed by a presumed parent under subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 46b-488 may be signed only af…

Sec. 46b-479. Effect of acknowledgment of parentage. Except as provided in section 46b-483, an acknowledgment of parentage that complies with sections 46b-476 to 46b-487, inclusive, and is filed with the Department of Public Health is equivalent to an adjudication by the Superior…

Sec. 46b-480. No filing fee. The Department of Public Health may not charge a fee for filing an acknowledgment of parentage. (P.A. 21-15, S. 28.) History: P.A. 21-15 effective January 1, 2022.

Sec. 46b-481. Ratification barred. A court conducting a judicial proceeding or an administrative agency conducting an administrative proceeding is not required or permitted to ratify an unchallenged acknowledgment of parentage. (P.A. 21-15, S. 29.) History: P.A. 21-15 effective J…

Sec. 46b-482. Procedure for recission. (a) A signatory may rescind an acknowledgment of parentage by filing with the Department of Public Health a rescission in a signed record that is attested by a notarial officer or witnessed, before the earlier of: (1) Sixty days after the ef…

Sec. 46b-483. Challenge after expiration period for recission. Procedure for challenge. (a) After the period for rescission under section 46b-482 expires, an acknowledgment of parentage may be challenged only on the basis of fraud, duress or material mistake of fact which, in cas…

Sec. 46b-484. Full faith and credit. This state shall give full faith and credit to an acknowledgment of parentage effective in another state if the acknowledgment was in a signed record and otherwise complies with the law of the other state. (P.A. 21-15, S. 32.) History: P.A. 21…

Sec. 46b-485. Forms for acknowledgment of parentage. (a) The Department of Public Health shall prescribe forms for an acknowledgment of parentage. Such forms shall include the minimum requirements specified by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Serv…

Sec. 46b-486. Release of information. The Department of Public Health may release information relating to an acknowledgment of parentage to a signatory of the acknowledgment, the child if such child is eighteen years of age or older, a guardian of the person whose parentage is ac…

Sec. 46b-487. Adoption of regulations. The Commissioner of Public Health may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of sections 46b-476 to 46b-486, inclusive. (P.A. 21-15, S. 35.) History: P.A. 21-15 effective January 1, 2022…

Sec. 46b-488. Presumption of parentage. (a) Except as otherwise provided in sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, a person is presumed to be a parent of a child if: (1) The person and the person who gave birth to the child are married to each other and the child is born during …

Sec. 46b-489. Adjudicating parentage of child with presumed parent. (a) A proceeding to determine whether a presumed parent is a parent of a child may be commenced: (1) Before the child reaches eighteen years of age; or (2) after the child reaches eighteen years of age, but only …

Sec. 46b-490. Adjudicating claim of de facto parentage of child. (a) In a proceeding to adjudicate parentage of a person who claims to be a de facto parent of the child, if there is only one other person who is a parent or has a claim to parentage of the child, the court shall ad…

Sec. 46b-491. Commencement of court proceeding to adjudicate claim of de facto parentage of child. (a) A proceeding to establish parentage of a child under this section may be commenced only by a person who: (1) Is alive when the proceeding is commenced; and (2) claims to be a de…

Secs. 46b-492 to 46b-494. Reserved for future use. (C) GENETIC TESTING

Sec. 46b-495. Genetic testing. Definitions. As used in sections 46b-495 to 46b-505, inclusive: (1) “Combined relationship index” means the product of all tested relationship indices. (2) “Ethnic or racial group” means, for the purpose of genetic testing, a recognized group that a…

Sec. 46b-496. Scope and limitations of genetic testing. (a) Sections 46b-495 to 46b-505, inclusive, govern genetic testing of a person in a proceeding to adjudicate parentage, whether the person: (1) Voluntarily submits to testing; or (2) is tested under an order of the Superior …

Sec. 46b-497. Authority to order or deny genetic testing. (a) Except as provided in sections 46b-495 to 46b-505, inclusive, in any proceeding under sections 46b-450 to 46b-553, inclusive, and in any proceeding under section 46b-571, to adjudicate parentage, the Superior Court, Pr…

Sec. 46b-498. Requirements for genetic testing. (a) Genetic testing shall be of a type reasonably relied on by experts in the field of genetic testing and performed in a testing laboratory accredited by: (1) The AABB, formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks, or …

Sec. 46b-499. Report of genetic testing. (a) A report of genetic testing shall be in a record and signed under penalty of perjury by a designee of the testing laboratory. A report complying with the requirements of sections 46b-495 to 46b-505, inclusive, is self-authenticating. (…

Sec. 46b-500. Challenge to genetic testing results. (a) Subject to a challenge under subsection (b) of this section, a person is identified under sections 46b-495 to 46b-505, inclusive, as a genetic parent of a child if genetic testing complies with said sections and the results …

Sec. 46b-501. Cost of genetic testing. Payment of the cost of initial genetic testing shall be made in accordance with sections 46b-565 and 46b-566. (P.A. 21-15, S. 46.) History: P.A. 21-15 effective January 1, 2022.

Sec. 46b-502. Additional genetic testing. The court or the Office of Child Support Services of the Department of Social Services may require additional genetic testing on request of a person who contests the result of the initial testing under section 46b-500, provided if the ini…

Sec. 46b-503. Adjudicating parentage of child with alleged genetic parent. (a) If in a proceeding to determine whether an alleged genetic parent who is not a presumed parent is a parent of a child and the person who gave birth to the child is the only other person with a claim to…