FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2529

                         C 170 L 94

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Providing that persons and entities involved in adoption processes shall incur no liability.

By House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Karahalios, Veloria and Mielke).

House Committee on Judiciary

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Health & Human Services

Background:  Prospective adoptive parents are entitled to receive a complete medical report about the child that the parents may adopt.  The medical report must contain all available information concerning the child's mental, physical and sensory handicaps.  The report must not identify the natural parents but must contain information about the natural parents' mental or physical health history that is necessary to help the adoptive parents determine proper health care for the child.  Prospective adoptive parents are also entitled to a report concerning the child's family background and social history report, which includes a chronological history of the circumstances surrounding the adoption.  Every person, firm, society, association or corporation which receives, secures a home for, or otherwise cares for the child who is going to be adopted must provide the information to the prospective adoptive parents.

Summary:  State agencies are expressly added to the list of persons and entities which must provide information about a child to prospective adoptive parents.  Entities furnishing information have an obligation to provide information that is known and available.  Entities with a responsibility to furnish information must make reasonable efforts to locate records and pertinent information.  The entities do not have any obligation to interpret records for prospective adoptive parents.

The Department of Social and Health Services must adopt rules establishing minimum standards for making reasonable efforts to locate records and pertinent information.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  96 0

Senate 46 0 (Senate amended)

House  93 0 (House concurred)

Effective:  June 9, 1994