45 CFR § 309.100 - What procedures for the establishment of paternity must a Tribe or Tribal organization include in a Tribal IV-D plan?

(a) A Tribe or Tribal organization must include in its Tribal IV-D plan the procedures for the establishment of paternity included in this section. The Tribe must include in its Tribal IV-D plan procedures under which the Tribal IV-D agency will:

(1) Attempt to establish paternity by the process established under Tribal law, code, and/or custom in accordance with this section;

(2) Provide an alleged father the opportunity to voluntarily acknowledge paternity; and

(3) In a contested paternity case (unless otherwise barred by Tribal law) require the child and all other parties to submit to genetic tests upon the request of any such party, if the request is supported by a sworn statement by the party—

(i) Alleging paternity, and setting forth facts establishing a reasonable possibility of the requisite sexual contact between parties; or

(ii) Denying paternity, and setting forth facts establishing a reasonable possibility of the nonexistence of sexual contact between the parties.

(b) The Tribal IV-D agency need not attempt to establish paternity in any case involving incest or forcible rape, or in any case in which legal proceedings for adoption are pending, if, in the opinion of the Tribal IV-D agency, it would not be in the best interests of the child to establish paternity.

(c) When genetic testing is used to establish paternity, the Tribal IV-D agency must identify and use accredited laboratories which perform, at reasonable cost, legally and medically-acceptable genetic tests which intend to identify the father or exclude the alleged father.

(d) Establishment of paternity under this section has no effect on Tribal enrollment or membership.