Child support: access to records.

Existing law, the Uniform Parentage Act, governs actions to determine a parent and child relationship. These provisions authorize a local child support agency to bring an action under the act in any case in which the agency determines it to be appropriate. Existing law also provides that, notwithstanding any other law concerning public hearings and records, a hearing or trial under the act may be held in closed court, as specified, and all papers and records, other than the final judgment, pertaining to the action or proceeding are subject to inspection only in exceptional cases upon an order of the court for good cause shown. However, this provision also provides that papers and records pertaining to an action or proceeding that are part of the permanent record of the court are subject to inspection by the parties to the action and their attorneys, pursuant to written authorization, as specified. This bill would instead authorize specified hearings or trials under the act, for actions that are filed on or after January 1, 2022, to be held in closed court. The bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before January 1, 2022, to create a new form or modify an existing form, as it deems appropriate, to require a party initiating those specified hearings or trials to designate the action or proceeding filed under those provisions.