Uniform Parentage Act
Texas · FA · §§ 160.001 to 160.763 · 97 sections
Overview
The act governs the legal relationship between parents and children, providing a framework for establishing maternity and paternity and defining the rights and obligations that follow from that relationship. It sets out court procedures for parentage actions — jurisdiction and venue, appointment of counsel and representation of minors, genetic testing and other evidence, and appeals — alongside presumptions of paternity and rules addressing artificial insemination and children born outside marriage. It also establishes a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity process, including hospital-based programs, standardized forms, and procedures for rescinding or later challenging an acknowledgment, and it provides for support orders and their enforcement, the issuance of new birth certificates, confidentiality of records, and recognition of parentage determinations made elsewhere.
Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.
In the courts
Sections of this act have been cited in 223 court decisions.
Most-cited authority: 157 SW3D 911 - In Re Sullivan
Sections covered
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.001APPLICATION AND CONSTRUCTION3 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.002CONFLICTS BETWEEN PROVISIONS4 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.101SHORT TITLE6 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.102DEFINITIONS21 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.103SCOPE OF CHAPTER; CHOICE OF LAW1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.104AUTHORIZED COURTS
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.105PROTECTION OF PARTICIPANTS2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.106DETERMINATION OF MATERNITY
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.201ESTABLISHMENT OF PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP19 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.202NO DISCRIMINATION BASED ON MARITAL STATUS1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.203CONSEQUENCES OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PARENTAGE2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.204PRESUMPTION OF PATERNITY21 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.301ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PATERNITY4 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.302EXECUTION OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PATERNITY4 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.303DENIAL OF PATERNITY
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.304RULES FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND DENIAL OF PATERNITY3 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.305EFFECT OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OR DENIAL OF PATERNITY4 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.306FILING FEE NOT REQUIRED
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.307PROCEDURES FOR RESCISSION8 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.308CHALLENGE AFTER EXPIRATION OF PERIOD FOR RESCISSION8 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.309PROCEDURE FOR CHALLENGE1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.310RATIFICATION BARRED
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.311FULL FAITH AND CREDIT
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.312FORMS
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.313RELEASE OF INFORMATION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.314ADOPTION OF RULES
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.315MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.401ESTABLISHMENT OF REGISTRY
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.402REGISTRATION FOR NOTIFICATION2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.403NOTICE OF PROCEEDING1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.404TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS: FAILURE TO REGISTER2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.411REQUIRED FORM1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.412FURNISHING OF INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.413OFFENSE: UNAUTHORIZED RELEASE OF INFORMATION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.414RESCISSION OF REGISTRATION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.415UNTIMELY REGISTRATION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.416FEES FOR REGISTRY
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.421SEARCH OF APPROPRIATE REGISTRY
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.422CERTIFICATE OF SEARCH OF REGISTRY2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.423ADMISSIBILITY OF CERTIFICATE
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.501APPLICATION OF SUBCHAPTER
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.502ORDER FOR TESTING9 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.503REQUIREMENTS FOR GENETIC TESTING1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.504REPORT OF GENETIC TESTING
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.505GENETIC TESTING RESULTS; REBUTTAL1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.506COSTS OF GENETIC TESTING1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.507ADDITIONAL GENETIC TESTING
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.508GENETIC TESTING WHEN ALL INDIVIDUALS NOT AVAILABLE
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.509DECEASED INDIVIDUAL
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.510IDENTICAL BROTHERS
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.511OFFENSE: UNAUTHORIZED RELEASE OF SPECIMEN
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.512OFFENSE: FALSIFICATION OF SPECIMEN
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.601PROCEEDING AUTHORIZED; RULES OF PROCEDURE1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.602STANDING TO MAINTAIN PROCEEDING4 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.603NECESSARY PARTIES TO PROCEEDING2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.6035CONTENTS OF PETITION; STATEMENT RELATING TO CERTAIN PROTECTIVE ORDERS REQUIRED
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.604PERSONAL JURISDICTION2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.605VENUE
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.606NO TIME LIMITATION: CHILD HAVING NO PRESUMED, ACKNOWLEDGED, OR ADJUDICATED FATHER4 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.607TIME LIMITATION: CHILD HAVING PRESUMED FATHER20 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.608AUTHORITY TO DENY MOTION FOR GENETIC TESTING6 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.609TIME LIMITATION: CHILD HAVING ACKNOWLEDGED OR ADJUDICATED FATHER2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.610JOINDER OF PROCEEDINGS
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.611PROCEEDINGS BEFORE BIRTH
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.612CHILD AS PARTY; REPRESENTATION1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.621ADMISSIBILITY OF RESULTS OF GENETIC TESTING; EXPENSES3 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.622CONSEQUENCES OF DECLINING GENETIC TESTING
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.623ADMISSION OF PATERNITY AUTHORIZED
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.624TEMPORARY ORDER
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.631RULES FOR ADJUDICATION OF PATERNITY5 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.632JURY PROHIBITED1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.633HEARINGS; INSPECTION OF RECORDS
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.634ORDER ON DEFAULT
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.635DISMISSAL FOR WANT OF PROSECUTION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.636ORDER ADJUDICATING PARENTAGE; FEES, COSTS, AND EXPENSES15 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.637BINDING EFFECT OF DETERMINATION OF PARENTAGE6 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.701SCOPE OF SUBCHAPTER
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.702PARENTAL STATUS OF DONOR7 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.703HUSBAND'S PATERNITY OF CHILD OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.7031UNMARRIED MAN'S PATERNITY OF CHILD OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.704CONSENT TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.705LIMITATION ON HUSBAND'S DISPUTE OF PATERNITY
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.706EFFECT OF DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.707PARENTAL STATUS OF DECEASED SPOUSE2 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.751DEFINITION3 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.752SCOPE OF SUBCHAPTER; CHOICE OF LAW1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.753ESTABLISHMENT OF PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.754GESTATIONAL AGREEMENT AUTHORIZED3 cites
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.755PETITION TO VALIDATE GESTATIONAL AGREEMENT
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.756HEARING TO VALIDATE GESTATIONAL AGREEMENT
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.757INSPECTION OF RECORDS
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.758CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.759TERMINATION OF GESTATIONAL AGREEMENT1 cite
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.760PARENTAGE UNDER VALIDATED GESTATIONAL AGREEMENT
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.761EFFECT OF GESTATIONAL MOTHER'S MARRIAGE AFTER VALIDATION OF AGREEMENT
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.762EFFECT OF GESTATIONAL AGREEMENT THAT IS NOT VALIDATED
- Tex. Fam. Code § 160.763HEALTH CARE FACILITY REPORTING REQUIREMENT
Enacted in other states
Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma
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