House
File
137
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
137
BY
ANDERSON
,
M.
SMITH
,
MASCHER
,
KURTH
,
GASKILL
,
McCONKEY
,
KURTZ
,
OURTH
,
STAED
,
KACENA
,
and
SHIPLEY
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
adoption,
including
access
to
adoption
1
records
for
adult
adoptees.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
Section
600.4,
subsection
2,
Code
2019,
is
1
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
2.
Husband
and
wife
Spouses
together.
3
Sec.
2.
Section
600.4,
subsection
3,
Code
2019,
is
amended
4
to
read
as
follows:
5
3.
A
husband
or
wife
spouse
separately
if
the
person
to
6
be
adopted
is
not
the
other
spouse
and
if
the
adopting
spouse
7
meets
any
of
the
following
conditions
:
8
a.
Is
the
stepparent
of
the
person
to
be
adopted
;
.
9
b.
Has
been
separated
from
the
other
spouse
by
reason
of
the
10
other
spouse’s
abandonment
as
prescribed
in
section
597.10
;
or
.
11
c.
Is
unable
to
petition
with
the
other
spouse
because
12
of
the
prolonged
and
unexplained
absence,
unavailability,
or
13
incapacity
of
the
other
spouse,
or
because
of
an
unreasonable
14
withholding
of
joinder
by
the
other
spouse,
as
determined
by
15
the
juvenile
court
or
court
under
section
600.5,
subsection
7
.
16
Sec.
3.
Section
600.16,
subsection
1,
paragraph
b,
Code
17
2019,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
18
b.
The
adopted
person,
provided
that
person
is
an
adult
at
19
the
time
the
request
for
information
is
made.
For
the
purposes
20
of
this
paragraph
“adult”
means
a
person
twenty-one
years
of
age
21
or
older
or
a
person
who
attains
majority
by
marriage.
22
Sec.
4.
Section
600.16,
subsection
2,
Code
2019,
is
amended
23
to
read
as
follows:
24
2.
Information
regarding
an
adopted
person’s
existing
25
medical
and
developmental
history
and
family
medical
history,
26
which
meets
the
definition
of
background
information
in
section
27
600.8,
subsection
1
,
paragraph
“c”
,
shall
be
made
available
as
28
provided
in
subsection
1
.
However,
the
identity
of
the
adopted
29
person’s
biological
parents
shall
not
be
disclosed
to
anyone
30
other
than
the
adopted
person,
provided
the
adopted
person
is
31
an
adult
at
the
time
the
request
for
information
is
made
.
32
Sec.
5.
Section
600.16A,
subsections
2,
3,
and
4,
Code
2019,
33
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:
34
2.
All
papers
and
records
pertaining
to
a
termination
of
35
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parental
rights
under
chapter
600A
and
to
an
adoption
shall
1
not
be
open
to
inspection
and
the
identity
of
the
biological
2
parents
of
an
adopted
person
shall
not
be
revealed
except
under
3
any
of
the
following
circumstances:
4
a.
The
department
or
an
adoption
service
provider
involved
5
in
placement
shall
contact
the
adopting
parents
or
the
adult
6
adopted
child
regarding
eligibility
of
the
adopted
child
for
7
benefits
based
on
entitlement
of
benefits
or
inheritance
from
8
the
terminated
biological
parents.
9
b.
The
juvenile
court
or
court
,
for
good
cause,
shall
order
10
the
opening
of
the
permanent
adoption
record
of
the
juvenile
11
court
or
court
for
the
adopted
person
who
is
an
adult
and
12
reveal
the
names
of
either
or
both
of
the
biological
parents
13
following
consideration
of
both
of
the
following:
14
(1)
A
biological
parent
may
file
an
affidavit
requesting
15
that
the
juvenile
court
or
court
reveal
or
not
reveal
the
16
parent’s
identity.
The
juvenile
court
or
court
shall
consider
17
any
such
affidavit
in
determining
whether
there
is
good
cause
18
to
order
opening
of
the
records.
To
facilitate
the
biological
19
parents
in
filing
an
affidavit,
the
department
shall,
upon
20
request
of
a
biological
parent,
provide
the
biological
parent
21
with
an
adoption
information
packet
containing
an
affidavit
for
22
completion
and
filing
with
the
juvenile
court
or
court
upon
the
23
filing
of
an
affidavit
by
the
adopted
person
who
is
an
adult
24
requesting
that
the
record
be
opened
.
25
(2)
If
the
adopted
person
who
applies
for
revelation
of
the
26
biological
parents’
identity
has
a
sibling
who
is
a
minor
and
27
who
has
been
adopted
by
the
same
parents,
the
juvenile
court
or
28
court
may
deny
the
application
on
the
grounds
that
revelation
29
to
the
applicant
may
also
indirectly
and
harmfully
permit
the
30
same
revelation
to
the
applicant’s
minor
sibling.
31
c.
A
biological
sibling
of
an
adopted
person
may
file
or
may
32
request
that
the
department
file
an
affidavit
in
the
juvenile
33
court
or
court
in
which
the
adopted
person’s
adoption
records
34
have
been
sealed
requesting
that
the
juvenile
court
or
court
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reveal
or
not
reveal
the
sibling’s
name
to
the
adopted
person.
1
The
juvenile
court
or
court
shall
consider
any
such
affidavit
2
in
determining
whether
there
is
good
cause
to
order
opening
3
of
the
records
upon
application
for
revelation
by
the
adopted
4
person.
However,
the
name
of
the
biological
sibling
shall
not
5
be
revealed
until
the
biological
sibling
has
attained
majority.
6
d.
The
juvenile
court
or
court
may,
upon
competent
medical
7
evidence,
open
termination
or
adoption
records
if
opening
8
is
shown
to
be
necessary
to
save
the
life
of
or
prevent
9
irreparable
physical
or
mental
harm
to
an
adopted
person
or
10
the
person’s
offspring.
The
juvenile
court
or
court
shall
11
make
every
reasonable
effort
to
prevent
the
identity
of
the
12
biological
parents
from
becoming
revealed
under
this
paragraph
13
to
the
minor
adopted
person.
The
juvenile
court
or
court
may,
14
however,
permit
revelation
of
the
identity
of
the
biological
15
parents
to
medical
personnel
attending
the
adopted
person
16
or
the
person’s
offspring.
These
medical
personnel
shall
17
make
every
reasonable
effort
to
prevent
the
identity
of
the
18
biological
parents
from
becoming
revealed
to
the
minor
adopted
19
person.
20
3.
a.
In
addition
to
other
procedures
by
which
adoption
21
records
may
be
opened
under
this
section
,
if
both
of
the
22
following
conditions
are
met,
the
department,
the
clerk
of
23
court,
or
the
adoption
service
provider
that
made
the
placement
24
shall
open
the
adoption
record
for
inspection
and
shall
reveal
25
the
identity
of
the
biological
parents
to
the
adult
adopted
26
child
or
the
identity
of
the
adult
adopted
child
to
the
27
biological
parents:
28
(1)
A
biological
parent
has
placed
in
the
adoption
record
29
written
consent
to
revelation
of
the
biological
parent’s
30
identity
to
the
adopted
child
at
an
age
specified
by
the
31
biological
parent,
upon
request
of
the
adopted
child.
32
(2)
An
adult
adopted
child
has
placed
in
the
adoption
record
33
written
consent
to
revelation
of
the
identity
of
the
adult
34
adopted
child
to
a
biological
parent.
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b.
A
person
who
has
placed
in
the
adoption
record
written
1
consent
pursuant
to
paragraph
“a”
,
subparagraph
(1)
or
(2)
2
may
withdraw
the
consent
at
any
time
by
placing
a
written
3
withdrawal
of
consent
statement
in
the
adoption
record.
4
c.
Notwithstanding
the
provisions
of
this
subsection
,
if
5
the
adult
adopted
person
has
a
sibling
who
is
a
minor
and
who
6
has
also
been
adopted
by
the
same
parents,
the
department,
7
the
clerk
of
court,
or
the
adoption
service
provider
that
8
made
the
placement
may
deny
the
request
of
either
the
adult
9
adopted
person
or
the
biological
parent
to
open
the
adoption
10
records
and
to
reveal
the
identities
of
the
parties
pending
11
determination
by
the
juvenile
court
or
court
that
there
is
good
12
cause
to
open
the
records
pursuant
to
subsection
2
.
13
d.
Nothing
in
this
subsection
shall
be
interpreted
to
14
preclude
the
opening
of
an
adoption
record
upon
the
filing
of
15
an
affidavit
by
an
adopted
person
who
is
an
adult
as
provided
16
in
subsection
2,
paragraph
“b”
.
17
4.
An
adopted
person
whose
adoption
became
final
prior
to
18
July
4,
1941,
and
whose
adoption
record
was
not
required
to
19
be
sealed
at
the
time
when
the
adoption
record
was
completed,
20
shall
not
be
required
to
show
good
cause
for
file
an
affidavit
21
to
request
an
order
opening
the
adoption
record
under
this
22
subsection
,
provided
that
the
juvenile
court
or
court
shall
23
consider
any
affidavit
filed
under
this
subsection
section
.
24
EXPLANATION
25
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
26
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
27
This
bill
relates
to
adoption.
28
The
bill
replaces
references
to
“husband”
and
“wife”
with
29
“spouse”
in
provisions
relating
to
qualifications
to
file
an
30
adoption
petition.
31
Under
Code
chapter
600
(adoption),
“adult”
is
defined
as
32
a
person
who
is
married
or
18
years
of
age
or
older.
Under
33
current
law,
however,
Code
section
600.16
provides
that
for
34
the
purposes
of
making
available
medical
and
developmental
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history
information
that
was
collected
during
the
preplacement
1
investigation
for
an
adoption,
“adult”
is
defined
as
a
person
2
21
years
of
age
or
older
or
a
person
who
attains
majority
by
3
marriage.
The
bill
eliminates
this
definition
of
“adult”,
4
thereby
defining
adult
as
a
person
who
is
married
or
18
years
5
of
age
or
older
consistently
throughout
the
chapter.
6
The
bill
also
provides
additional
means
of
allowing
a
7
permanent
adoption
record
to
be
open
to
an
adopted
person
who
8
is
an
adult.
9
Current
law
provides
that
the
court
shall,
for
good
cause,
10
order
the
opening
of
the
permanent
adoption
record
for
an
11
adopted
person
who
is
an
adult
and
reveal
the
names
of
either
12
or
both
of
the
biological
parents
following
consideration
of
13
the
affidavit
of
a
biological
parent
requesting
that
the
court
14
reveal
or
not
reveal
the
parent’s
identity
and
consideration
of
15
the
fact
that
the
adopted
person
who
files
the
application
has
16
a
sibling
who
is
a
minor
and
who
has
been
adopted
by
the
same
17
parents.
Under
the
bill,
the
court
would
no
longer
require
18
good
cause
based
upon
these
considerations,
but
instead,
upon
19
the
filing
of
an
affidavit
by
the
adopted
person
who
is
an
20
adult,
the
court
would
open
the
permanent
adoption
records
21
for
the
adopted
person.
The
bill
also
amends
the
provisions
22
relating
to
the
court
opening
termination
or
adoption
records
23
if
the
opening
is
shown
to
be
necessary
to
save
the
life
of
24
or
prevent
irreparable
physical
or
mental
harm
to
an
adopted
25
person
or
the
person’s
offspring.
Current
law
requires
the
26
court
to
make
every
reasonable
effort
to
prevent
the
identity
27
of
the
biological
parents
from
becoming
revealed
to
the
adopted
28
person
when
such
opening
of
the
record
is
allowed.
The
bill
29
would
only
require
the
court
to
make
every
reasonable
effort
to
30
prevent
the
identity
of
the
biological
parents
from
becoming
31
revealed
to
the
adopted
person
when
the
adopted
person
is
a
32
minor,
but
not
when
the
adopted
person
is
an
adult.
33
Current
law
also
includes
a
mutual
consent
provision
under
34
which
a
permanent
adoption
record
may
be
opened
and
reveal
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the
names
of
either
or
both
of
the
biological
parents
if
1
a
biological
parent
places
in
the
adoption
record
written
2
consent
to
revelation
of
the
biological
parent’s
identity
3
to
the
adopted
child
at
an
age
specified
by
the
biological
4
parent
upon
request
of
the
adopted
child,
and
the
adult
5
adopted
child
in
turn
has
placed
in
the
adoption
record
6
written
consent
to
revelation
of
the
identity
of
the
adult
7
adopted
child
to
a
biological
parent.
The
bill
retains
the
8
mutual
consent
opportunity
but
provides
that
the
requirements
9
of
the
mutual
consent
process
to
request
the
opening
of
the
10
permanent
adoption
records
shall
not
preclude
the
opening
of
11
the
permanent
adoption
record
if
requested
by
an
adopted
person
12
who
is
an
adult.
13
Under
current
law,
an
adopted
person
whose
adoption
became
14
final
prior
to
July
4,
1941,
and
whose
adoption
record
was
15
not
required
to
be
sealed
at
the
time
when
the
adoption
16
record
was
completed,
is
not
required
to
show
good
cause
for
17
an
order
opening
the
adoption
record.
The
bill
amends
this
18
provision
to
be
consistent
with
the
provisions
of
the
bill
so
19
that
the
requirement
for
showing
good
cause
is
stricken,
and
20
additionally
the
person
is
not
required
as
other
adults
under
21
the
bill
to
file
an
affidavit
to
request
an
order
to
open
the
22
adoption
record.
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