HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5032

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                 Children & Family Services

Title:  An act relating to adoption support.

Brief Description:  Modifying adoption support provisions.

Sponsors:  Senators Hargrove and Fraser; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Children & Family Services:  3/16/95, 3/30/95 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 9 members:  Representatives Cooke, Chairman; Lambert, Vice Chairman; Stevens, Vice Chairman; Thibaudeau, Ranking Minority Member; Brown, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boldt; Buck; Carrell and Tokuda.

Staff:  David Knutson (786-7146).

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 from the Department of Social and Health Services are required to submit a copy of their federal income tax return, within two weeks of filing it, to the secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services.

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

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services is required to review adoption support payments at least once every five years.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Some review of adoption support payments is needed.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Patricia Scheler (pro); and Rosie Oreskovich, Department of Social and Health Services.