Text: H08119                            Text: H08121
Text: H08100 - H08199                   Text: H Index
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House Amendment 8120

Amendment Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Amend House File 2388 as follows:
  1  2    #1.  Page 1, by inserting after line 13 the
  1  3 following:
  1  4    "Sec.    .  NEW SECTION.  232.6  JURISDICTION –
  1  5 ADOPTIONS AND TERMINATIONS OF PARENTAL RIGHTS.
  1  6    The court may exercise jurisdiction over adoption
  1  7 and termination of parental rights proceedings under
  1  8 chapters 600 and 600A."
  1  9    #2.  Page 1, by inserting after line 26 the
  1 10 following:
  1 11    "Sec.    .  Section 600.1, Code 1999, is amended to
  1 12 read as follows:
  1 13    600.1  CONSTRUCTION.
  1 14    This chapter shall be construed liberally.  The
  1 15 best interest of the person to be adopted shall be the
  1 16 paramount consideration in interpreting this chapter.
  1 17 However, the interests of the adopting parents shall
  1 18 be given due consideration in this interpretation.
  1 19 However, in determining the best interest of the
  1 20 person to be adopted and the interests of the adopting
  1 21 parents, any evidence of interests relating to a
  1 22 period of time during which the person to be adopted
  1 23 is placed with prospective adoptive parents and during
  1 24 which the placement is not in compliance with the law,
  1 25 adoption procedures, or any action by the juvenile
  1 26 court or court, shall not be considered in the
  1 27 determination.
  1 28    Sec.    .  Section 600.3, Code 1999, is amended to
  1 29 read as follows:
  1 30    600.3  COMMENCEMENT OF ADOPTION ACTION –
  1 31 JURISDICTION – FORUM NON CONVENIENS.
  1 32    1.  An action for the adoption of any natural
  1 33 person shall be commenced by the filing of an adoption
  1 34 petition, as prescribed in section 600.5, in the
  1 35 juvenile court or court of the county in which an
  1 36 adult person to be adopted is domiciled or resides, or
  1 37 in the juvenile court or court of the county in which
  1 38 the guardian of a minor person to be adopted or the
  1 39 petitioner is domiciled or resides.
  1 40    2.  An adoption petition shall not be filed until a
  1 41 termination of parental rights has been accomplished
  1 42 except in the following cases:
  1 43    a.  No termination of parental rights is required
  1 44 if the person to be adopted is an adult.
  1 45    b.  If the stepparent of the child to be adopted is
  1 46 the adoption petitioner, the parent-child relationship
  1 47 between the child and the parent who is not the spouse
  1 48 of the petitioner may be terminated as part of the
  1 49 adoption proceeding by the filing of that parent's
  1 50 consent to the adoption.
  2  1    For the purposes of this subsection, a consent to
  2  2 adopt recognized by the juvenile courts or courts of
  2  3 another jurisdiction in the United States and obtained
  2  4 from a resident of that jurisdiction shall be accepted
  2  5 in this state in lieu of a termination of parental
  2  6 rights proceeding.
  2  7    Any adoption proceeding pending on or completed
  2  8 prior to July 1, 1978, is hereby legalized and
  2  9 validated to the extent that it is consistent with
  2 10 this subsection.
  2 11    3.  If upon filing of the adoption petition or at
  2 12 any later time in the adoption action the juvenile
  2 13 court or court finds that in the interest of
  2 14 substantial justice the adoption action should be
  2 15 conducted in another juvenile court or court, it may
  2 16 transfer, stay, or dismiss the adoption action on any
  2 17 conditions that are just.
  2 18    Sec.    .  Section 600.4, subsection 3, paragraph
  2 19 c, Code 1999, is amended to read as follows:
  2 20    c.  Is unable to petition with the other spouse
  2 21 because of the prolonged and unexplained absence,
  2 22 unavailability, or incapacity of the other spouse, or
  2 23 because of an unreasonable withholding of joinder by
  2 24 the other spouse, as determined by the juvenile court
  2 25 or court under section 600.5, subsection 7.
  2 26    Sec.    .  Section 600.5, unnumbered paragraph 1,
  2 27 Code 1999, is amended to read as follows:
  2 28    An adoption petition shall be signed and verified
  2 29 by the petitioner, shall be filed with the juvenile
  2 30 court or court designated in section 600.3, and shall
  2 31 state:
  2 32    Sec.    .  Section 600.5, subsection 7, Code 1999,
  2 33 is amended to read as follows:
  2 34    7.  A designation of the particular provision in
  2 35 section 600.4 under which the petitioner is qualified
  2 36 to adopt and, if under section 600.4, subsection 3,
  2 37 paragraph "c", a request that the juvenile court or
  2 38 court approve the petitioner's qualification to adopt.
  2 39    Sec.    .  Section 600.7, subsection 1, unnumbered
  2 40 paragraph 1, Code 1999, is amended to read as follows:
  2 41    An adoption petition shall not be granted unless
  2 42 the following persons consent to the adoption or
  2 43 unless the juvenile court or court makes a
  2 44 determination under subsection 4:
  2 45    Sec.    .  Section 600.7, subsection 2, paragraphs
  2 46 a and b, Code 1999, are amended to read as follows:
  2 47    a.  If by any minor person to be adopted who is
  2 48 fourteen years of age or older, in the presence of the
  2 49 juvenile court or court in which the adoption petition
  2 50 is filed.
  3  1    b.  If by any other person, either in the presence
  3  2 of the juvenile court or court in which the adoption
  3  3 petition is filed or before a notary public.
  3  4    Sec.    .  Section 600.7, subsections 3 and 4, Code
  3  5 1999, are amended to read as follows:
  3  6    3.  A consent to the adoption may be withdrawn
  3  7 prior to the issuance of an adoption decree under
  3  8 section 600.13 by the filing of an affidavit of
  3  9 consent withdrawal with the juvenile court or court.
  3 10 Such affidavit shall be treated in the same manner as
  3 11 an attached verified statement is treated under
  3 12 subsection 4.
  3 13    4.  If any person required to consent under this
  3 14 section refuses to or cannot be located to give
  3 15 consent, the petitioner may attach to the petition a
  3 16 verified statement of such refusal or lack of
  3 17 location.  The juvenile court or court shall then
  3 18 determine, at the adoption hearing prescribed in
  3 19 section 600.12, whether, in the best interests of the
  3 20 person to be adopted and the petitioner, any
  3 21 particular consent shall be unnecessary to the
  3 22 granting of an adoption petition.
  3 23    Sec.    .  Section 600.8, subsection 2, paragraph
  3 24 a, Code 1999, is amended to read as follows:
  3 25    a.  A preplacement investigation and report of the
  3 26 investigation shall be completed and the prospective
  3 27 adoption petitioner approved for a placement by the
  3 28 person making the investigation prior to any agency or
  3 29 independent placement of a minor person in the
  3 30 petitioner's home in anticipation of an ensuing
  3 31 adoption.  A report of a preplacement investigation
  3 32 that has approved a prospective adoption petitioner
  3 33 for a placement shall not authorize placement of a
  3 34 minor person with that petitioner after one year from
  3 35 the date of the report's issuance.  However, if the
  3 36 prospective adoption petitioner is a relative within
  3 37 the fourth degree of consanguinity who has assumed
  3 38 custody of a minor person to be adopted, a
  3 39 preplacement investigation of this petitioner and a
  3 40 report of the investigation may be completed at a time
  3 41 established by the juvenile court or court or may be
  3 42 waived as provided in subsection 12.
  3 43    Sec.    .  Section 600.8, subsections 4, 7, 8, 9,
  3 44 and 12, Code Supplement 1999, are amended to read as
  3 45 follows:
  3 46    4.  A postplacement investigation and the report of
  3 47 the investigation shall be completed and filed with
  3 48 the court prior to the holding of the adoption hearing
  3 49 prescribed in section 600.12.  Upon the filing of an
  3 50 adoption petition pursuant to section 600.5, the
  4  1 juvenile court or court shall immediately appoint the
  4  2 department, an agency, or an investigator to conduct
  4  3 and complete the postplacement report.  Any person,
  4  4 including a juvenile court, who has gained relevant
  4  5 background information concerning a minor person
  4  6 subject to an adoption petition shall, upon request,
  4  7 fully cooperate with the conducting of the
  4  8 postplacement investigation by disclosing any relevant
  4  9 information requested, whether contained in sealed
  4 10 records or not.
  4 11    7.  Any investigation or report required under this
  4 12 section shall not apply when the person to be adopted
  4 13 is an adult or when the prospective adoption
  4 14 petitioner or adoption petitioner is a stepparent of
  4 15 the person to be adopted.  However, in the case of a
  4 16 stepparent adoption, the juvenile court or court, upon
  4 17 the request of an interested person or on its own
  4 18 motion stating the reasons therefor of record, may
  4 19 order an investigation or report pursuant to this
  4 20 section.
  4 21    8.  Any person designated to make an investigation
  4 22 and report under this section may request an agency or
  4 23 state agency, within or outside this state, to conduct
  4 24 a portion of the investigation or the report, as may
  4 25 be appropriate, and to file a supplemental report of
  4 26 such investigation or report with the juvenile court
  4 27 or court.  In the case of the adoption of a minor
  4 28 person by a person domiciled or residing in any other
  4 29 jurisdiction of the United States, any investigation
  4 30 or report required under this section which has been
  4 31 conducted pursuant to the standards of that other
  4 32 jurisdiction shall be recognized in this state.
  4 33    9.  The department may investigate, on its own
  4 34 initiative or on order of the juvenile court or court,
  4 35 any placement made or adoption petition filed under
  4 36 this chapter or chapter 600A and may report its
  4 37 resulting recommendation to the juvenile court or
  4 38 court.
  4 39    12.  Any investigation and report required under
  4 40 subsection 1 of this section may be waived by the
  4 41 juvenile court or court if the adoption petitioner is
  4 42 related within the fourth degree of consanguinity to
  4 43 the person to be adopted.
  4 44    Sec.    .  Section 600.9, subsection 2, unnumbered
  4 45 paragraph 1, Code Supplement 1999, is amended to read
  4 46 as follows:
  4 47    An adoption petitioner of a minor person shall file
  4 48 with the juvenile court or court, prior to the
  4 49 adoption hearing, a full accounting of all
  4 50 disbursements of any thing of value paid or agreed to
  5  1 be paid by or on behalf of the petitioner in
  5  2 connection with the petitioned adoption.  This
  5  3 accounting shall be made by a report prescribed by the
  5  4 juvenile court or court and shall be signed and
  5  5 verified by the petitioner.  Only expenses incurred in
  5  6 connection with the following and any other expenses
  5  7 approved by the juvenile court or court are allowable:
  5  8    Sec.    .  Section 600.10, Code Supplement 1999, is
  5  9 amended to read as follows:
  5 10    600.10  MINIMUM RESIDENCE OF A MINOR CHILD.
  5 11    The adoption of a minor person shall not be decreed
  5 12 until that person has lived with the adoption
  5 13 petitioner for a minimum residence period of one
  5 14 hundred eighty days.  However, the juvenile court or
  5 15 court may waive this period if the adoption petitioner
  5 16 is a stepparent or related to the minor person within
  5 17 the fourth degree of consanguinity or may shorten this
  5 18 period upon good cause shown when the juvenile court
  5 19 or court is satisfied that the adoption petitioner and
  5 20 the person to be adopted are suited to each other.
  5 21    Sec.    .  Section 600.11, subsections 1 and 3,
  5 22 Code 1999, are amended to read as follows:
  5 23    1.  The juvenile court or court shall set the time
  5 24 and place of the adoption hearing prescribed in
  5 25 section 600.12 upon application of the petitioner.
  5 26 The juvenile court or court may continue the adoption
  5 27 hearing if the notice prescribed in subsections 2 and
  5 28 3 is given, except that such notice shall only be
  5 29 given at least ten days prior to the date which has
  5 30 been set for the continuation of the adoption hearing.
  5 31    3.  A notice of the adoption hearing shall state
  5 32 the time, place, and purpose of the hearing and shall
  5 33 be served in accordance with rule of civil procedure
  5 34 56.1.  Proof of the giving of notice shall be filed
  5 35 with the juvenile court or court prior to the adoption
  5 36 hearing.  Acceptance of service by the party being
  5 37 given notice shall satisfy the requirements of this
  5 38 subsection.
  5 39    Sec.    .  Section 600.12, subsections 2 and 3,
  5 40 Code 1999, are amended to read as follows:
  5 41    2.  Only those persons notified under section
  5 42 600.11 and their witnesses and legal counsel or
  5 43 persons requested by the juvenile court or court to be
  5 44 present shall be admitted to the court chambers while
  5 45 an adoption hearing is being conducted.  The adoption
  5 46 petitioner and the person to be adopted shall be
  5 47 present at the hearing, unless the presence of either
  5 48 is excused by the juvenile court or court.
  5 49    3.  Any person admitted to the hearing shall be
  5 50 heard and allowed to present evidence upon request and
  6  1 according to the manner in which the juvenile court or
  6  2 court conducts the hearing.
  6  3    Sec.    .  Section 600.12A, subsections 1 and 2,
  6  4 Code 1999, are amended to read as follows:
  6  5    1.  If the person to be adopted dies following the
  6  6 filing of an adoption petition pursuant to section
  6  7 600.3, but prior to issuance of a final adoption
  6  8 decree pursuant to section 600.13, the juvenile court
  6  9 or court may waive any investigations and reports
  6 10 required pursuant to section 600.8 that remain
  6 11 uncompleted, waive the minimum residence requirements
  6 12 pursuant to section 600.10, proceed to the adoption
  6 13 hearing, and issue a final adoption decree, unless any
  6 14 person to whom notice is to be provided pursuant to
  6 15 section 600.11 objects to the adoption.
  6 16    2.  If the person to be adopted dies following
  6 17 termination of the parental rights of the person's
  6 18 biological parents but prior to the filing of an
  6 19 adoption petition, the person who was the guardian or
  6 20 custodian of the person to be adopted prior to the
  6 21 person's death or the person who was in a parent-child
  6 22 relationship with the person to be adopted prior to
  6 23 the person's death may file an adoption petition and
  6 24 the juvenile court or court in the interest of justice
  6 25 may waive any other procedures or requirements related
  6 26 to the adoption, proceed to the adoption hearing, and
  6 27 issue a final adoption decree, unless any person to
  6 28 whom notice is to be provided pursuant to section
  6 29 600.11 objects to the adoption.
  6 30    Sec.    .  Section 600.13, subsections 1, 2, 3, and
  6 31 5, Code Supplement 1999, are amended to read as
  6 32 follows:
  6 33    1.  At the conclusion of the adoption hearing, the
  6 34 juvenile court or court shall do one of the following:
  6 35    a.  Issue a final adoption decree;.
  6 36    b.  Issue an interlocutory adoption decree; or,.
  6 37    c.  Dismiss the adoption petition if the
  6 38 requirements of this Act have not been met or if
  6 39 dismissal of the adoption petition is in the best
  6 40 interest of the person whose adoption has been
  6 41 petitioned.  Upon dismissal, the juvenile court or
  6 42 court shall determine who is to be guardian or
  6 43 custodian of a minor child, including the adoption
  6 44 petitioner if it is in the best interest of the minor
  6 45 person whose adoption has been petitioned.
  6 46    2.  An interlocutory adoption decree automatically
  6 47 becomes a final adoption decree at a date specified by
  6 48 the juvenile court or court in the interlocutory
  6 49 adoption decree, which date shall not be less than one
  6 50 hundred eighty days nor more than three hundred sixty
  7  1 days from the date the interlocutory decree is issued.
  7  2 However, an interlocutory adoption decree may be
  7  3 vacated prior to the date specified for it to become
  7  4 final.  Also, the juvenile court or court may provide
  7  5 in the interlocutory adoption decree for further
  7  6 observation, investigation, and report of the
  7  7 conditions of and the relationships between the
  7  8 adoption petitioner and the person petitioned to be
  7  9 adopted.
  7 10    3.  If an interlocutory adoption decree is vacated
  7 11 under subsection 2, it shall be void from the date of
  7 12 issuance and the rights, duties, and liabilities of
  7 13 all persons affected by it shall, unless they have
  7 14 become vested, be governed accordingly.  Upon vacation
  7 15 of an interlocutory adoption decree, the juvenile
  7 16 court or court shall proceed under the provisions of
  7 17 subsection 1, paragraph "c".
  7 18    5.  An interlocutory or a final adoption decree
  7 19 shall be entered with the clerk of the court.  Such
  7 20 decree shall set forth any facts of the adoption
  7 21 petition which have been proven to the satisfaction of
  7 22 the juvenile court or court and any other facts
  7 23 considered to be relevant by the juvenile court or
  7 24 court and shall grant the adoption petition.  If so
  7 25 designated in the adoption decree, the name of the
  7 26 adopted person shall be changed by issuance of that
  7 27 decree.  The clerk of the court shall, within thirty
  7 28 days of issuance, deliver one certified copy of any
  7 29 adoption decree to the petitioner, one copy of any
  7 30 adoption decree to the department and any agency or
  7 31 person making an independent placement who placed a
  7 32 minor person for adoption, and one certification of
  7 33 adoption as prescribed in section 144.19 to the state
  7 34 registrar of vital statistics.  Upon receipt of the
  7 35 certification, the state registrar shall prepare a new
  7 36 birth certificate pursuant to section 144.23 and
  7 37 deliver to the parents named in the decree and any
  7 38 adult person adopted by the decree a copy of the new
  7 39 birth certificate.  The parents shall pay the fee
  7 40 prescribed in section 144.46.  If the person adopted
  7 41 was born outside the state, the state registrar shall
  7 42 forward the certification of adoption to the
  7 43 appropriate agency in the state or foreign nation of
  7 44 birth. A copy of any interlocutory adoption decree
  7 45 vacation shall be delivered and another birth
  7 46 certificate shall be prepared in the same manner as a
  7 47 certification of adoption is delivered and the birth
  7 48 certificate was originally prepared.
  7 49    Sec.    .  Section 600.15, subsection 1, paragraphs
  7 50 a and b, Code Supplement 1999, are amended to read as
  8  1 follows:
  8  2    a.  A decree establishing a parent-child
  8  3 relationship by adoption which is issued pursuant to
  8  4 due process of law by a juvenile court or court of any
  8  5 other jurisdiction in the United States shall be
  8  6 recognized in this state.
  8  7    b.  A decree terminating a parent-child
  8  8 relationship which is issued pursuant to due process
  8  9 of law by a juvenile court or court of any other
  8 10 jurisdiction in the United States shall be recognized
  8 11 in this state.
  8 12    Sec.    .  Section 600.16A, subsection 2,
  8 13 paragraphs b and c, Code 1999, are amended to read as
  8 14 follows:
  8 15    b.  The juvenile court or court, for good cause,
  8 16 shall order the opening of the permanent adoption
  8 17 record of the juvenile court or court for the adopted
  8 18 person who is an adult and reveal the names of either
  8 19 or both of the biological parents following
  8 20 consideration of both of the following:
  8 21    (1)  A biological parent may file an affidavit
  8 22 requesting that the juvenile court or court reveal or
  8 23 not reveal the parent's identity.  The juvenile court
  8 24 or court shall consider any such affidavit in
  8 25 determining whether there is good cause to order
  8 26 opening of the records.  To facilitate the biological
  8 27 parents in filing an affidavit, the department shall,
  8 28 upon request of a biological parent, provide the
  8 29 biological parent with an adoption information packet
  8 30 containing an affidavit for completion and filing with
  8 31 the juvenile court or court.
  8 32    (2)  If the adopted person who applies for
  8 33 revelation of the biological parents' identity has a
  8 34 sibling who is a minor and who has been adopted by the
  8 35 same parents, the juvenile court or court may deny the
  8 36 application on the grounds that revelation to the
  8 37 applicant may also indirectly and harmfully permit the
  8 38 same revelation to the applicant's minor sibling.
  8 39    c.  A biological sibling of an adopted person may
  8 40 file or may request that the department file an
  8 41 affidavit in the juvenile court or court in which the
  8 42 adopted person's adoption records have been sealed
  8 43 requesting that the juvenile court or court reveal or
  8 44 not reveal the sibling's name to the adopted person.
  8 45 The juvenile court or court shall consider any such
  8 46 affidavit in determining whether there is good cause
  8 47 to order opening of the records upon application for
  8 48 revelation by the adopted person.  However, the name
  8 49 of the biological sibling shall not be revealed until
  8 50 the biological sibling has attained majority.
  9  1    Sec.    .  Section 600.16A, subsection 3, paragraph
  9  2 b, unnumbered paragraph 3, Code 1999, is amended to
  9  3 read as follows:
  9  4    Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection,
  9  5 if the adult adopted person has a sibling who is a
  9  6 minor and who has also been adopted by the same
  9  7 parents, the department, the clerk of court, or the
  9  8 agency which made the placement may deny the request
  9  9 of either the adult adopted person or the biological
  9 10 parent to open the adoption records and to reveal the
  9 11 identities of the parties pending determination by the
  9 12 juvenile court or court that there is good cause to
  9 13 open the records pursuant to subsection 2.
  9 14    Sec.    .  Section 600.16A, subsection 4, Code
  9 15 1999, is amended to read as follows:
  9 16    4.  An adopted person whose adoption became final
  9 17 prior to July 4, 1941, and whose adoption record was
  9 18 not required to be sealed at the time when the
  9 19 adoption record was completed, shall not be required
  9 20 to show good cause for an order opening the adoption
  9 21 record under this subsection, provided that the
  9 22 juvenile court or court shall consider any affidavit
  9 23 filed under this subsection.
  9 24    Sec.    .  Section 600.18, unnumbered paragraph 1,
  9 25 Code 1999, is amended to read as follows:
  9 26    Any prospective adoptive parent desiring financial
  9 27 assistance shall state this fact in the petition for
  9 28 adoption.  The department of human services shall
  9 29 investigate the person petitioning for adoption and
  9 30 the child and shall file with the juvenile court or
  9 31 court a statement of whether the department will
  9 32 provide assistance as provided in sections 600.17 to
  9 33 600.22, the estimated amount, extent, and duration of
  9 34 assistance, and any other information the juvenile
  9 35 court or court may order.
  9 36    Sec.    .  Section 602.8102, subsections 42 and 43,
  9 37 Code Supplement 1999, are amended to read as follows:
  9 38    42.  Serve as clerk of the juvenile court and carry
  9 39 out duties as provided in chapter 232 and article 7 of
  9 40 this chapter.
  9 41    43.  Submit to the director of the division of
  9 42 child and family services of the department of human
  9 43 services a duplicate of the findings of the district
  9 44 court related to adoptions as provided in section
  9 45 235.3, subsection 7."
  9 46    #3.  Title page, line 1, by striking the word
  9 47 "concurrent".
  9 48    #4.  Title page, line 3, by inserting after the
  9 49 word "orders" the following:  "and relating to
  9 50 adoption and termination of parental rights
 10  1 proceedings".  
 10  2 
 10  3 
 10  4                               
 10  5 SHOULTZ of Black Hawk 
 10  6 HF 2388.301 78
 10  7 pf/cf
     

Text: H08119                            Text: H08121
Text: H08100 - H08199                   Text: H Index
Bills and Amendments: General Index     Bill History: General Index

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