SENATE BILL REPORT

                  EHB 1173

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

         Human Services & Corrections, March 30, 1995

Title:  An act relating to adoption support.

Brief Description:  Modifying adoption support provisions.

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

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  3/16/95, 3/30/95 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Franklin, Vice Chair; Fairley, Kohl, Long, Palmer, Prentice, Schow and Strannigan.

Staff:  Richard Rodger (786-7461)

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 (DSHS) 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 DSHS are required to submit a copy of their federal income tax return, within two weeks of filing it, to the Secretary of the DSHS.

Summary of Bill:  The Secretary of DSHS must, at least once every five years, review the need to continue adoption support payments or lump sum payments to adoptive parents through the Adoption Support Program.  Adoptive parents who receive adoption support payments must submit copies of their federal income tax return if requested by the Secretary.

DSHS is required to conduct a study to determine the cost and impact of extending the "exceptional cost" plan, used in foster care, to the adoption support plan.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  A study on the adoption support payment rates is added.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  Annual reviews of children receiving adoption support payments are not necessary for most children served by the program.  The Department of Social and Health Services should not intrude in the lives of families unless it is specifically warranted.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Dick Anderson, DSHS (pro).