Under the
provisions of House
Bills 4646 (H-1), 4647
and 4648,
a birth mother would have five days to rescind her choice; allow the court to
finalize the adoption process within three months of placement; and ensure that
custody of the child would be placed with the adoptive family or the mother,
not the putative father, during the adoption proceedings.
The bills now head to the full House for consideration.
The committee also
discussed a series of bills (House
Bills 4659,
4661, and 4662)
that would create a Responsible Fathers Registry. The bills would require the
Michigan Department of Community Health to develop an online registry, allowing
a father to admit paternity of a child who was born outside the confines of
marriage. As long as the father registers within 48 hours of the child’s birth,
he would be informed of all paternity hearings. The Department expressed
support for the legislation; however, they also voiced concerns over potential
abuse and fraud with the online registry. Committee Chairman Ken Kurtz (R-Coldwater)
stated he will take these concerns under advisement before the committee
reconvenes deliberations on the legislation.