Acknowledgement of paternity; certain rebuttable presumptions relating to the best interest of a child, created

HB 63 creates legal presumptions favoring joint custody and shared parenting time when an unmarried father voluntarily acknowledges paternity. It requires courts to presume that joint custody is in the child's best interest if parents live within 40 miles of each other, and prohibits either parent from removing the child from Alabama without the other parent's consent or court permission. These presumptions can be challenged with evidence but include exceptions for cases involving domestic or family violence. The bill directly affects unmarried parents who sign paternity acknowledgments and applies to custody, visitation, and child support proceedings. It does not change existing paternity acknowledgment procedures but alters how courts evaluate custody arrangements in those cases.