HB 1163 on Adoption

HB 1163 on Adoptions was filed, introduced, and referred to several committees this month. Some of the changes are subtle, some are ambitious. They include:

  • explicit procedures for creation and enforcement of continuing contact orders and agreements (“open adoption”)
  • an additional class of men whose consent is required for the adoption, namely the man whose name appears on the birth certificate
  • requirement of personal appearance at adoption hearings to avoid a default or implied consent
  • limitations on the availability of DNA/HLA tests in certain situations (and a requirement that the man claiming paternity pay for it, regardless of who requests the test)
  • changes to the private adoption bypass of dependency proceedings.

Over the next few weeks I’ll go through what I like, what I don’t like, and what I think will cause chaos and confusion. Stay tuned.


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