LA HB154

Unemancipated minors under age 16 are prohibited from executing an acknowledgment of paternity; those aged 16-17 may do so only with judicial authorization

Courts may deviate from child support guidelines when a parent is an unemancipated minor, considering limited contractual/earning capacity, availability of familial support, and desirability of continuing the minor parent's education

Requests for judicial authorization may be filed in the parish where the minor parent is domiciled or where the child to be acknowledged is domiciled

Courts may authorize paternity acknowledgment ex parte after considering the best interest of both the minor parent and the child to be acknowledged

Courts may require the minor parent's presence to evaluate understanding of the acknowledgment's nature and consequences, awareness of the right to request blood/tissue tests, and whether the matter was discussed with parents or tutor