For amend and vote only, the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law heard HB 1208, sponsored by Sen. Grooms and Sen. Houchin on prohibited name change. The bill that passed the House amended the current law that prohibits a person who is confined to a Department of Correction facility from filing a change of name petition. It added to the persons prohibited from filing a change of name petition anyone who has been convicted of being a sex or violent offender as defined in IC 11-8-8-5(a).
Committee Chairman Michael Young offered Amendment #6 that: 1) prohibits seeking a name change to only a lifetime sex or violent offender, and allows even a lifetime offender to petition for a name change based on a sincerely held religious belief; 2) adds to the information to be provided on a marriage application, divorce petition, application restoring a previous married or unmarried name, and a petition for adoption, whether a person is a lifetime sex or violent offender; and, 3) allows for the approval of marriage, divorce, name change, or adoption only after the offender provides proof of written notice of filing for approval with the sheriff of the county of conviction and county of residence. This amendment was adopted by voice vote without dissent.
The amended bill passed 6-0.
Read the bill at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/house/1208