Colorado Code § 13-25-126

Genetic tests to determine parentage
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(1) (a) (I) In any action, suit, or
proceeding in which the parentage of a child is at issue, including but not limited to actions or
proceedings pursuant to section 14-10-122 (6) or 19-4-107.3, C.R.S., upon motion of the court or
any of the interested parties, the court shall order the alleged mother, the child or children, and
the alleged father to submit to genetic testing and other appropriate testing of inherited
characteristics, including but not limited to blood and tissue type, for the purpose of determining
probability of parentage. If a party refuses to submit to these tests, the court may resolve the
question of parentage against the party to enforce its order if the rights of others and the interests
of justice so require.
(II) A court, pursuant to this section, or delegate child support enforcement unit pursuant
to section 26-13.5-105, C.R.S., shall not order genetic testing of a child whose parentage has
previously been determined by or pursuant to the law of another state, but a court may stay a
support proceeding for such reasonable time as determined by the court to allow the party
asserting the defense to pursue the nonparentage claim in the other state.
(b) The tests shall be conducted by a laboratory approved by an accreditation body
designated by the secretary of the federal department of health and human services, utilizing any
genetic test of a type generally acknowledged as reliable by such accreditation body. Costs of
any such expert witness for the first test administered shall be fixed at a reasonable amount and
shall be paid as the court orders. If the results of the tests or the expert analysis of inherited
characteristics are disputed by any party, the court shall order that an additional test be made by
the same or another laboratory at the expense of the party disputing the test results or analysis.
(c) Documentation from the testing laboratory of the following information is sufficient
to establish a reliable chain of custody that makes the results of genetic testing admissible
without testimony:
(I) The names and photographs of the individuals from whom specimens have been
taken;
(II) The names of the individuals who collected the specimens;
(III) The places at which and dates on which the specimens were collected;
(IV) The names of the individuals who received the specimens in the testing laboratory;
and
(V) The dates the specimens were received.
(d) A specimen used in genetic testing may consist of one or more samples or a
combination of samples, of blood, buccal cells, bone, hair, or other body tissue or fluid. The
specimen used in the testing need not be of the same kind for each individual undergoing genetic
testing.
(e) Specimens and reports are confidential. An individual who intentionally releases an
identifiable specimen of another individual for any purpose other than that relevant to the
proceeding regarding parentage without a court order or the written permission of the individual
who furnished the specimen commits a class 2 misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be
punished as provided in section 18-1.3-501 (1).
(f) A report of genetic testing must be in a record, defined in section 19-1-103, and
signed under penalty of perjury by a designee of the testing laboratory. A report made pursuant
to the requirements of this article 25 is self-authenticating.
(g) Under this section, a man is presumed to be the father of a child if the genetic testing
complies with the requirements of this section and the results disclose that the man is not
excluded and that the man has at least a ninety-seven percent probability of paternity.
(h) A man presumed to be the father of the child pursuant to paragraph (g) of this
subsection (1) may rebut the genetic testing results only by other genetic testing that satisfies the
requirements of this section and that:
(I) Excludes the man as the genetic father of the child; or
(II) Identifies another man as the father of the child.
(i) The presumption of parentage of a child born during a marriage may be overcome, as
provided in section 19-4-105 (2)(a), if the court finds that the conclusion of the experts
conducting the tests, as disclosed by the evidence based upon the tests, shows that one of the
spouses is not the parent of the child.
(2) Any objection to genetic testing results shall be made in writing not less than fifteen
days before the first scheduled hearing at which the results may be introduced into evidence or
fifteen days after motion for summary judgment is served on such person; except that a person
shall object to the genetic testing results not less than twenty-four hours prior to the first
scheduled hearing if such person did not receive the results fifteen or more days before such
hearing. The test results shall be admissible as evidence of paternity in an action filed pursuant to
article 10 of title 14, C.R.S., article 4 of title 19, C.R.S., or article 13.5 of title 26, C.R.S.,
without the need for foundation testimony or other proof of authenticity or accuracy.
(3) For good cause shown, the court may order genetic testing of a deceased individual.
(4) The court may order genetic testing of a brother of a man presumed to be the father
of a child if the man is commonly believed to have an identical brother and evidence suggests
that the brother may be the genetic father of the child. If genetic testing excludes none of the
brothers as the genetic father, and each brother satisfies the requirements as the presumed father
of the child under section 19-4-105, C.R.S., without consideration of another identical brother
being presumed to be the father of the child, the court may rely on nongenetic evidence to
adjudicate which brother is the father of the child.

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