FINAL BILL REPORT

EHB 1173

                         C 270 L 95

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Modifying adoption support provisions.

Sponsors:  Representatives Cooke and Brown; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.

House Committee on Children & Family Services

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

Background:  The adoption support program provides for the adoption of hard-to- place children living in, or likely to be placed in, foster care or institutions.  The program provides adoptive parents with either continuing payments or lump sum payments of adoption support.  The secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services is required to annually review the need to continue adoption support payments to parents and adjust the payment to reflect changes in the medical condition, prognosis, and other changes in the needs of the adoptive child. 

Adoptive parents receiving adoption support payments must submit to the department a copy of their federal income tax return within two weeks of filing it.

Summary:  The secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services will, at least once every 5 years, review the need to continue adoption support payments or lump sum payments to adoptive parents through the adoption support program.  Adoptive parents receiving adoption support payments will submit copies of their federal income tax return if requested by the department.

The department will study the cost, program impact, and appropriateness of extending exceptional cost foster care rates to the adoption support program for special needs children.  The department will submit the study to the Legislature no later than September 1, 1995.  Notification requirements when a parent's legal rights will be terminated are increased under certain circumstances to 30 days prior to court action.  The conditions under which an adoption can be overturned are narrowed.  Adoptions will not be delayed or denied on the basis of the race, color, or national origin of the adoptive parent or the adoptee.

Votes on Final Passage:

House     98 0

Senate    44 0 (Senate amended)

House         (House refused to concur)

Conference Committee

Senate    45 0

House     94 0

Effective:  July 23, 1995