H-1869.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1522

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By House Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Representatives Padden, Cooke, Goldsmith, Hickel, Lambert, Boldt, Sherstad, Thompson, Johnson, Fuhrman, Mulliken, McMahan, Koster, Hargrove, Pelesky, Sheahan, Backlund, McMorris, Huff, Talcott, Carrell, Casada, Honeyford, Clements, B. Thomas, Crouse, Campbell and D. Schmidt)

Read first time 02/17/95.

Prohibiting delays or denials of adoptions on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

    AN ACT Relating to adoption; and adding a new section to chapter 26.33 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 26.33 RCW to read as follows:

    An adoption shall not be delayed or denied on the basis of the race, color, or national origin of the adoptive parent or the child involved.  When the department or an agency considers whether a placement option is in a child's best interests, the department or agency may consider the cultural, ethnic, or racial background of the child and the capacity of prospective adoptive parents to meet the needs of a child of this background.  This provision shall not apply to or affect the application of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1901 et seq.

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