HB 320 Summary

• Authorizes Mississippi chancery courts to order fathers to provide financial support to pregnant women out of wedlock, including medical expenses during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care for up to two years after birth.

• Defines "unborn child" as a child in the mother's womb and extends father's liability for prenatal care, pregnancy, confinement, and education expenses to cover support of the pregnant mother.

• Extends the statute of limitations for recovering past support from one year to three years preceding an action, and removes the prohibition that pregnancy halts custody or support hearings.

• Modifies voluntary paternity acknowledgment procedures to allow mothers of unborn children to execute acknowledgments and establishes support obligations through stipulated agreements or court orders.

• Expands the Child Support Unit's duties under the Department of Human Services to include collecting support for pregnant women receiving public assistance and establishes guidelines for calculating support obligations based on the father's adjusted gross income.