Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 71.djvu/324

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PUBLIC LAW 85-94--JULY 10, 1957

[71 S T A T.

hereof, it shall docket the cause and refer the matter to the Corporation Counsel, or to private counsel, if appropriate, for such further action as may be necessary to obtain jurisdiction of the defendant in order to carry out the provisions of this Act. (b) If the court is unable to obtain jurisdiction of the defendant due to inaccuracies or inadequacies in the complaint or otherwise, the court shall communicate this fact to the court in the initiating State, and shall hold the case pending receipt of more accurate information or an amended complaint from the court in the initiating State. ORDER OF SUPPORT

SEC. 15. If the court finds a duty of support as defined by this Act it may order the defendant to pay such amounts under such terms and conditions as the court may deem proper. The court may require the defendant to furnish recognizance in the form of a cash deposit or bond, and may punish a defendant who violates any order of the court to the same extent as is provided by law for contempt in any other suit or proceeding cognizable by the court. COPIES OF ORDERS TO BE TRANSMITTED TO INITIATING STATE

SEC. 16. The court shall cause to be transmitted to the court of the initiating State a certified copy of all orders of support or for reimbursement therefor entered by it. ADDITIONAL DUTIES OF THE COURT

SEC. 17. The court shall have the additional duty, which may be carried out by the clerk of the court, to receive payments made pursuant to order of the court by defendants within the District of Columbia or transmitted by the court of a responding State, and to disburse the same in accordance with the order of the court, and upon request of the court of an initiating State shall furnish to that court a certified statement of all payments received and disbursed in a particular case. TESTIMONY OF SPOUSE

SEC. 18. I n all proceedings arising under this Act, husband and wife shall be competent witnesses and may be compelled to testify to any relevant matter, including marriage and parentage. APPLICATION OF PAYMENTS

SEC. 19. No order of support entered by the Court in any proceeding arising under this Act shall supersede any previous order of support entered in a divorce or separate maintenance action, or any other proceedings, but the amounts for a particular period paid pursuant to either order, when verified, shall be credited against amounts accruing or accrued for the same period under both. SUPPORT OF I L L E G I T I M A T E CHILDREN

SEC. 20. The natural father of an illegitimate child shall have the duty to support such child until the age of sixteen years (a) when paternity has been established by judicial process, or (b) when paternity hasIbeen directly acknowledged by the putative father under oath. EFFECT OF PARTICIPATION IN PROCEEDING

SEC. 21. Participation in any proceedings under this Act shall not

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