Text: H08618                            Text: H08620
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House Amendment 8619

Amendment Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Amend Senate File 2384, as amended, passed, and
  1  2 reprinted by the Senate, as follows:
  1  3    #1.  Page 1, by inserting before line 1 the
  1  4 following:
  1  5    "Sec. 101.  NEW SECTION.  232.6  JURISDICTION –
  1  6 ADOPTIONS AND TERMINATIONS OF PARENTAL RIGHTS.
  1  7    The court may exercise jurisdiction over adoption
  1  8 and termination of parental rights proceedings under
  1  9 chapters 600 and 600A.
  1 10    Sec. 102.  Section 600.1, Code 1997, is amended to
  1 11 read as follows:
  1 12    600.1  CONSTRUCTION.
  1 13    This chapter shall be construed liberally.  The
  1 14 best interest of the person to be adopted shall be the
  1 15 paramount consideration in interpreting this chapter.
  1 16 However, the interests of the adopting parents shall
  1 17 be given due consideration in this interpretation.
  1 18 However, in determining the best interest of the
  1 19 person to be adopted and the interests of the adopting
  1 20 parents, any evidence of interests relating to a
  1 21 period of time during which the person to be adopted
  1 22 is placed with prospective adoptive parents and during
  1 23 which the placement is not in compliance with the law,
  1 24 adoption procedures, or any action by the juvenile
  1 25 court or court, shall not be considered in the
  1 26 determination.
  1 27    Sec. 103.  Section 600.3, Code 1997, is amended to
  1 28 read as follows:
  1 29    600.3  COMMENCEMENT OF ADOPTION ACTION –
  1 30 JURISDICTION – FORUM NON CONVENIENS.
  1 31    1.  An action for the adoption of any natural
  1 32 person shall be commenced by the filing of an adoption
  1 33 petition, as prescribed in section 600.5, in the
  1 34 juvenile court or court of the county in which an
  1 35 adult person to be adopted is domiciled or resides, or
  1 36 in the juvenile court or court of the county in which
  1 37 the guardian of a minor person to be adopted or the
  1 38 petitioner is domiciled or resides.
  1 39    2.  An adoption petition shall not be filed until a
  1 40 termination of parental rights has been accomplished
  1 41 except in the following cases:
  1 42    a.  No termination of parental rights is required
  1 43 if the person to be adopted is an adult.
  1 44    b.  If the stepparent of the child to be adopted is
  1 45 the adoption petitioner, the parent-child relationship
  1 46 between the child and the parent who is not the spouse
  1 47 of the petitioner may be terminated as part of the
  1 48 adoption proceeding by the filing of that parent's
  1 49 consent to the adoption.
  1 50    For the purposes of this subsection, a consent to
  2  1 adopt recognized by the juvenile courts or courts of
  2  2 another jurisdiction in the United States and obtained
  2  3 from a resident of that jurisdiction shall be accepted
  2  4 in this state in lieu of a termination of parental
  2  5 rights proceeding.
  2  6    Any adoption proceeding pending on or completed
  2  7 prior to July 1, 1978, is hereby legalized and
  2  8 validated to the extent that it is consistent with
  2  9 this subsection.
  2 10    3.  If upon filing of the adoption petition or at
  2 11 any later time in the adoption action the juvenile
  2 12 court or court finds that in the interest of
  2 13 substantial justice the adoption action should be
  2 14 conducted in another juvenile court or court, it may
  2 15 transfer, stay, or dismiss the adoption action on any
  2 16 conditions that are just.
  2 17    Sec. 104.  Section 600.4, subsection 3, paragraph
  2 18 c, Code 1997, is amended to read as follows:
  2 19    c.  Is unable to petition with the other spouse
  2 20 because of the prolonged and unexplained absence,
  2 21 unavailability, or incapacity of the other spouse, or
  2 22 because of an unreasonable withholding of joinder by
  2 23 the other spouse, as determined by the juvenile court
  2 24 or court under section 600.5, subsection 7.
  2 25    Sec. 105.  Section 600.5, unnumbered paragraph 1,
  2 26 Code 1997, is amended to read as follows:
  2 27    An adoption petition shall be signed and verified
  2 28 by the petitioner, shall be filed with the juvenile
  2 29 court or court designated in section 600.3, and shall
  2 30 state:
  2 31    Sec. 106.  Section 600.5, subsection 7, Code 1997,
  2 32 is amended to read as follows:
  2 33    7.  A designation of the particular provision in
  2 34 section 600.4 under which the petitioner is qualified
  2 35 to adopt and, if under section 600.4, subsection 3,
  2 36 paragraph "c", a request that the juvenile court or
  2 37 court approve the petitioner's qualification to adopt.
  2 38    Sec. 107.  Section 600.7, subsection 1, unnumbered
  2 39 paragraph 1, Code 1997, is amended to read as follows:
  2 40    An adoption petition shall not be granted unless
  2 41 the following persons consent to the adoption or
  2 42 unless the juvenile court or court makes a
  2 43 determination under subsection 4:
  2 44    Sec. 108.  Section 600.7, subsection 2, paragraphs
  2 45 a and b, Code 1997, are amended to read as follows:
  2 46    a.  If by any minor person to be adopted who is
  2 47 fourteen years of age or older, in the presence of the
  2 48 juvenile court or court in which the adoption petition
  2 49 is filed.
  2 50    b.  If by any other person, either in the presence
  3  1 of the juvenile court or court in which the adoption
  3  2 petition is filed or before a notary public.
  3  3    Sec. 109.  Section 600.7, subsections 3 and 4, Code
  3  4 1997, are amended to read as follows:
  3  5    3.  A consent to the adoption may be withdrawn
  3  6 prior to the issuance of an adoption decree under
  3  7 section 600.13 by the filing of an affidavit of
  3  8 consent withdrawal with the juvenile court or court.
  3  9 Such affidavit shall be treated in the same manner as
  3 10 an attached verified statement is treated under
  3 11 subsection 4.
  3 12    4.  If any person required to consent under this
  3 13 section refuses to or cannot be located to give
  3 14 consent, the petitioner may attach to the petition a
  3 15 verified statement of such refusal or lack of
  3 16 location.  The juvenile court or court shall then
  3 17 determine, at the adoption hearing prescribed in
  3 18 section 600.12, whether, in the best interests of the
  3 19 person to be adopted and the petitioner, any
  3 20 particular consent shall be unnecessary to the
  3 21 granting of an adoption petition.
  3 22    Sec. 110.  Section 600.8, subsection 2, paragraph
  3 23 a, Code 1997, is amended to read as follows:
  3 24    a.  A preplacement investigation and report of the
  3 25 investigation shall be completed and the prospective
  3 26 adoption petitioner approved for a placement by the
  3 27 person making the investigation prior to any agency or
  3 28 independent placement of a minor person in the
  3 29 petitioner's home in anticipation of an ensuing
  3 30 adoption.  A report of a preplacement investigation
  3 31 that has approved a prospective adoption petitioner
  3 32 for a placement shall not authorize placement of a
  3 33 minor person with that petitioner after one year from
  3 34 the date of the report's issuance.  However, if the
  3 35 prospective adoption petitioner is a relative within
  3 36 the fourth degree of consanguinity who has assumed
  3 37 custody of a minor person to be adopted, a
  3 38 preplacement investigation of this petitioner and a
  3 39 report of the investigation may be completed at a time
  3 40 established by the juvenile court or court or may be
  3 41 waived as provided in subsection 12.
  3 42    Sec. 111.  Section 600.8, subsections 4, 7, 8, 9,
  3 43 and 12, Code 1997, are amended to read as follows:
  3 44    4.  A postplacement investigation and a background
  3 45 information investigation and the reports of these
  3 46 investigations shall be completed and the reports
  3 47 filed with the juvenile court or court prior to the
  3 48 holding of the adoption hearing prescribed in section
  3 49 600.12.  Upon the filing of an adoption petition
  3 50 pursuant to section 600.5, the juvenile court or court
  4  1 shall immediately appoint the department, an agency,
  4  2 or an investigator to conduct and complete the
  4  3 postplacement and background information
  4  4 investigations and reports.  In addition to filing the
  4  5 background information report with the juvenile court
  4  6 or court prior to the holding of the adoption hearing,
  4  7 the department, agency, or investigator appointed to
  4  8 conduct the background information investigation shall
  4  9 complete the background information investigation and
  4 10 report and furnish a copy to the adoption petitioner
  4 11 within thirty days after the filing of the adoption
  4 12 petition.  Any person, including a juvenile court, who
  4 13 has gained relevant background information concerning
  4 14 a minor person subject to an adoption petition shall,
  4 15 upon request, fully co-operate with the conducting of
  4 16 the background information investigation and report by
  4 17 disclosing any relevant background information,
  4 18 whether contained in sealed records or not.
  4 19    7.  Any investigation or report required under this
  4 20 section shall not apply when the person to be adopted
  4 21 is an adult or when the prospective adoption
  4 22 petitioner or adoption petitioner is a stepparent of
  4 23 the person to be adopted.  However, in the case of a
  4 24 stepparent adoption, the juvenile court or court, upon
  4 25 the request of an interested person or on its own
  4 26 motion stating the reasons therefor of record, may
  4 27 order an investigation or report pursuant to this
  4 28 section.
  4 29    8.  Any person designated to make an investigation
  4 30 and report under this section may request an agency or
  4 31 state agency, within or outside this state, to conduct
  4 32 a portion of the investigation or the report, as may
  4 33 be appropriate, and to file a supplemental report of
  4 34 such investigation or report with the juvenile court
  4 35 or court.  In the case of the adoption of a minor
  4 36 person by a person domiciled or residing in any other
  4 37 jurisdiction of the United States, any investigation
  4 38 or report required under this section which has been
  4 39 conducted pursuant to the standards of that other
  4 40 jurisdiction shall be recognized in this state.
  4 41    9.  The department may investigate, on its own
  4 42 initiative or on order of the juvenile court or court,
  4 43 any placement made or adoption petition filed under
  4 44 this chapter or chapter 600A and may report its
  4 45 resulting recommendation to the juvenile court or
  4 46 court.
  4 47    12.  Any investigation and report required under
  4 48 subsection 1 of this section may be waived by the
  4 49 juvenile court or court if the adoption petitioner is
  4 50 related within the fourth degree of consanguinity to
  5  1 the person to be adopted.
  5  2    Sec. 112.  Section 600.9, subsection 2, unnumbered
  5  3 paragraph 1, Code 1997, is amended to read as follows:
  5  4    An adoption petitioner of a minor person shall file
  5  5 with the juvenile court or court, prior to the
  5  6 adoption hearing, a full accounting of all
  5  7 disbursements of any thing of value paid or agreed to
  5  8 be paid by or on behalf of the petitioner in
  5  9 connection with the petitioned adoption.  This
  5 10 accounting shall be made by a report prescribed by the
  5 11 juvenile court or court and shall be signed and
  5 12 verified by the petitioner.  Only expenses incurred in
  5 13 connection with the following and any other expenses
  5 14 approved by the juvenile court or court are allowable:
  5 15    Sec. 113.  Section 600.10, Code 1997, is amended to
  5 16 read as follows:
  5 17    600.10  MINIMUM RESIDENCE OF A MINOR CHILD.
  5 18    The adoption of a minor person shall not be decreed
  5 19 until that person has lived with the adoption
  5 20 petitioner for a minimum residence period of one
  5 21 hundred eighty days.  However, the juvenile court or
  5 22 court may waive this period if the adoption petitioner
  5 23 is a stepparent or related to the minor person within
  5 24 the fourth degree of consanguinity or may shorten this
  5 25 period upon good cause shown when the juvenile court
  5 26 or court is satisfied that the adoption petitioner and
  5 27 the person to be adopted are suited to each other.
  5 28    Sec. 114.  Section 600.11, subsections 1 and 3,
  5 29 Code 1997, are amended to read as follows:
  5 30    1.  The juvenile court or court shall set the time
  5 31 and place of the adoption hearing prescribed in
  5 32 section 600.12 upon application of the petitioner.
  5 33 The juvenile court or court may continue the adoption
  5 34 hearing if the notice prescribed in subsections 2 and
  5 35 3 is given, except that such notice shall only be
  5 36 given at least ten days prior to the date which has
  5 37 been set for the continuation of the adoption hearing.
  5 38    3.  A notice of the adoption hearing shall state
  5 39 the time, place, and purpose of the hearing and shall
  5 40 be served in accordance with rule of civil procedure
  5 41 56.1.  Proof of the giving of notice shall be filed
  5 42 with the juvenile court or court prior to the adoption
  5 43 hearing.  Acceptance of service by the party being
  5 44 given notice shall satisfy the requirements of this
  5 45 subsection.
  5 46    Sec. 115.  Section 600.12, subsections 2 and 3,
  5 47 Code 1997, are amended to read as follows:
  5 48    2.  Only those persons notified under section
  5 49 600.11 and their witnesses and legal counsel or
  5 50 persons requested by the juvenile court or court to be
  6  1 present shall be admitted to the court chambers while
  6  2 an adoption hearing is being conducted.  The adoption
  6  3 petitioner and the person to be adopted shall be
  6  4 present at the hearing, unless the presence of either
  6  5 is excused by the juvenile court or court.
  6  6    3.  Any person admitted to the hearing shall be
  6  7 heard and allowed to present evidence upon request and
  6  8 according to the manner in which the juvenile court or
  6  9 court conducts the hearing.
  6 10    Sec. 116.  Section 600.13, subsections 1, 2, 3, 5,
  6 11 and 6, Code 1997, are amended to read as follows:
  6 12    1.  At the conclusion of the adoption hearing, the
  6 13 juvenile court or court shall:
  6 14    a.  Issue a final adoption decree;
  6 15    b.  Issue an interlocutory adoption decree; or,
  6 16    c.  Dismiss the adoption petition if the
  6 17 requirements of this Act have not been met or if
  6 18 dismissal of the adoption petition is in the best
  6 19 interest of the person whose adoption has been
  6 20 petitioned.  Upon dismissal, the juvenile court or
  6 21 court shall determine who is to be guardian or
  6 22 custodian of a minor child, including the adoption
  6 23 petitioner if it is in the best interest of the minor
  6 24 person whose adoption has been petitioned.
  6 25    2.  An interlocutory adoption decree automatically
  6 26 becomes a final adoption decree at a date specified by
  6 27 the juvenile court or court in the interlocutory
  6 28 adoption decree, which date shall not be less than one
  6 29 hundred eighty days nor more than three hundred sixty
  6 30 days from the date the interlocutory decree is issued.
  6 31 However, an interlocutory adoption decree may be
  6 32 vacated prior to the date specified for it to become
  6 33 final.  Also, the juvenile court or court may provide
  6 34 in the interlocutory adoption decree for further
  6 35 observation, investigation, and report of the
  6 36 conditions of and the relationships between the
  6 37 adoption petitioner and the person petitioned to be
  6 38 adopted.
  6 39    3.  If an interlocutory adoption decree is vacated
  6 40 under subsection 2, it shall be void from the date of
  6 41 issuance and the rights, duties, and liabilities of
  6 42 all persons affected by it shall, unless they have
  6 43 become vested, be governed accordingly.  Upon vacation
  6 44 of an interlocutory adoption decree, the juvenile
  6 45 court or court shall proceed under the provisions of
  6 46 subsection 1, paragraph "c".
  6 47    5.  An interlocutory or a final adoption decree
  6 48 shall be entered with the clerk of the court.  Such
  6 49 decree shall set forth any facts of the adoption
  6 50 petition which have been proven to the satisfaction of
  7  1 the juvenile court or court and any other facts
  7  2 considered to be relevant by the juvenile court or
  7  3 court and shall grant the adoption petition.  If so
  7  4 designated in the adoption decree, the name of the
  7  5 adopted person shall be changed by issuance of that
  7  6 decree.  The clerk of the court shall, within thirty
  7  7 days of issuance, deliver one certified copy of any
  7  8 adoption decree to the petitioner, one copy of any
  7  9 adoption decree to the department and any agency or
  7 10 person making an independent placement who placed a
  7 11 minor person for adoption, and one certification of
  7 12 adoption as prescribed in section 144.19 to the state
  7 13 registrar of vital statistics.  Upon receipt of the
  7 14 certification, the state registrar shall prepare a new
  7 15 birth certificate pursuant to section 144.23 and
  7 16 deliver to the parents named in the decree and any
  7 17 adult person adopted by the decree a copy of the new
  7 18 birth certificate.  The parents shall pay the fee
  7 19 prescribed in section 144.46.  If the person adopted
  7 20 was born outside the state, the state registrar shall
  7 21 forward the certification of adoption to the
  7 22 appropriate agency in the state or foreign nation of
  7 23 birth.  A copy of any interlocutory adoption decree
  7 24 vacation shall be delivered and another birth
  7 25 certificate shall be prepared in the same manner as a
  7 26 certification of adoption is delivered and the birth
  7 27 certificate was originally prepared.
  7 28    6.  The clerk of the district court shall attach to
  7 29 the certified copy of the decree delivered to the
  7 30 department, a copy of the adoption information form
  7 31 required to be attached to the adoption petition under
  7 32 section 600.6, subsection 5.
  7 33    Sec. 117.  Section 600.15, subsection 1, paragraphs
  7 34 a and b, Code 1997, are amended to read as follows:
  7 35    a.  A decree establishing a parent-child
  7 36 relationship by adoption which is issued pursuant to
  7 37 due process of law by a juvenile court or court of any
  7 38 other jurisdiction in the United States shall be
  7 39 recognized in this state.
  7 40    b.  A decree terminating a parent-child
  7 41 relationship which is issued pursuant to due process
  7 42 of law by a juvenile court or court of any other
  7 43 jurisdiction in the United States shall be recognized
  7 44 in this state.
  7 45    Sec. 118.  Section 600.16A, subsection 2,
  7 46 paragraphs b and c, Code 1997, are amended to read as
  7 47 follows:
  7 48    b.  The juvenile court or court, for good cause,
  7 49 shall order the opening of the permanent adoption
  7 50 record of the juvenile court or court for the adopted
  8  1 person who is an adult and reveal the names of either
  8  2 or both of the biological parents following
  8  3 consideration of both of the following:
  8  4    (1)  A biological parent may file an affidavit
  8  5 requesting that the juvenile court or court reveal or
  8  6 not reveal the parent's identity.  The juvenile court
  8  7 or court shall consider any such affidavit in
  8  8 determining whether there is good cause to order
  8  9 opening of the records.  To facilitate the biological
  8 10 parents in filing an affidavit, the department shall,
  8 11 upon request of a biological parent, provide the
  8 12 biological parent with an adoption information packet
  8 13 containing an affidavit for completion and filing with
  8 14 the juvenile court or court.
  8 15    (2)  If the adopted person who applies for
  8 16 revelation of the biological parents' identity has a
  8 17 sibling who is a minor and who has been adopted by the
  8 18 same parents, the juvenile court or court may deny the
  8 19 application on the grounds that revelation to the
  8 20 applicant may also indirectly and harmfully permit the
  8 21 same revelation to the applicant's minor sibling.
  8 22    c.  A biological sibling of an adopted person may
  8 23 file or may request that the department file an
  8 24 affidavit in the juvenile court or court in which the
  8 25 adopted person's adoption records have been sealed
  8 26 requesting that the juvenile court or court reveal or
  8 27 not reveal the sibling's name to the adopted person.
  8 28 The juvenile court or court shall consider any such
  8 29 affidavit in determining whether there is good cause
  8 30 to order opening of the records upon application for
  8 31 revelation by the adopted person.  However, the name
  8 32 of the biological sibling shall not be revealed until
  8 33 the biological sibling has attained majority.
  8 34    Sec. 119.  Section 600.16A, subsection 3, paragraph
  8 35 b, unnumbered paragraph 3, Code 1997, is amended to
  8 36 read as follows:
  8 37    Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection,
  8 38 if the adult adopted person has a sibling who is a
  8 39 minor and who has also been adopted by the same
  8 40 parents, the department, the clerk of court, or the
  8 41 agency which made the placement may deny the request
  8 42 of either the adult adopted person or the biological
  8 43 parent to open the adoption records and to reveal the
  8 44 identities of the parties pending determination by the
  8 45 juvenile court or court that there is good cause to
  8 46 open the records pursuant to subsection 2.
  8 47    Sec. 120.  Section 600.16A, subsection 4, Code
  8 48 1997, is amended to read as follows:
  8 49    4.  An adopted person whose adoption became final
  8 50 prior to July 4, 1941, and whose adoption record was
  9  1 not required to be sealed at the time when the
  9  2 adoption record was completed, shall not be required
  9  3 to show good cause for an order opening the adoption
  9  4 record under this subsection, provided that the
  9  5 juvenile court or court shall consider any affidavit
  9  6 filed under this subsection.
  9  7    Sec. 121.  Section 600.18, unnumbered paragraph 1,
  9  8 Code 1997, is amended to read as follows:
  9  9    Any prospective adoptive parent desiring financial
  9 10 assistance shall state this fact in the petition for
  9 11 adoption.  The department of human services shall
  9 12 investigate the person petitioning for adoption and
  9 13 the child and shall file with the juvenile court or
  9 14 court a statement of whether the department will
  9 15 provide assistance as provided in sections 600.17 to
  9 16 600.22, the estimated amount, extent, and duration of
  9 17 assistance, and any other information the juvenile
  9 18 court or court may order.
  9 19    Sec. 122.  Section 602.8102, subsections 42 and 43,
  9 20 Code Supplement 1997, are amended to read as follows:
  9 21    42.  Serve as clerk of the juvenile court and carry
  9 22 out duties as provided in chapter 232 and article 7 of
  9 23 this chapter.
  9 24    43.  Submit to the director of the division of
  9 25 child and family services of the department of human
  9 26 services a duplicate of the findings of the district
  9 27 court related to adoptions as provided in section
  9 28 235.3, subsection 7."
  9 29    #2.  Page 4, line 35, by striking the words "of
  9 30 the" and inserting the following:  "of sections 1
  9 31 through 7".
  9 32    #3.  Page 5, line 1, by striking the word
  9 33 "provisions".
  9 34    #4.  Title page, line 1, by striking the words "to
  9 35 provide" and inserting the following:  "relating to
  9 36 certain court procedures by extending the jurisdiction
  9 37 of the juvenile court to include adoption and
  9 38 termination of parental rights proceedings and by
  9 39 providing".
  9 40    #5.  By renumbering as necessary.  
  9 41 
  9 42 
  9 43                               
  9 44 KREIMAN of Davis 
  9 45 SF 2384.201 77
  9 46 lh/jl/28
     

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