BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to adoption; amending RCW 26.33.160; and adding new sections to chapter 26.33 RCW.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 26.33.160 and 1991 c 136 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.33.170, consent to an adoption shall be required of the following if applicable:

(a) The adoptee, if fourteen years of age or older;

(b) The parents and any alleged father of an adoptee under eighteen years of age;

(d) The legal guardian of the adoptee.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4)(h) of this section, consent to adoption is revocable by the consenting party ((~~at any time before the consent is approved by the court~~)) within one hundred ninety-two hours after the birth of the child. The revocation may be made in either of the following ways:

(a) Written revocation may be delivered or mailed to the clerk of the court before approval; or

(b) Written revocation may be delivered or mailed to the clerk of the court after approval, but only if it is delivered or mailed within forty-eight hours after a prior notice of revocation that was given within forty-eight hours after the birth of the child. The prior notice of revocation shall be given to the agency or person who sought the consent and may be either oral or written.

(3) Except as provided in subsections (2)(b) and (4)(h) of this section and in this subsection, a consent to adoption may not be revoked after it has been approved by the court. Within one year after approval, a consent may be revoked for fraud or duress practiced by the person, department, or agency requesting the consent, or for lack of mental competency on the part of the person giving the consent at the time the consent was given. A written consent to adoption may not be revoked more than one year after it is approved by the court.

(4) Except as provided in (h) of this subsection, the written consent to adoption shall be signed under penalty of perjury and shall state that:

(a) It is given subject to approval of the court;

(b) It has no force or effect until approved by the court;

(d) The consent will not be presented to the court until forty-eight hours after it is signed or forty-eight hours after the birth of the child, whichever occurs later;

(e) It is revocable by the consenting party at any time before its approval by the court. It may be revoked in either of the following ways:

(i) Written revocation may be delivered or mailed to the clerk of the court before approval of the consent by the court; or

(ii) Written revocation may be delivered or mailed to the clerk of the court after approval, but only if it is delivered or mailed within forty-eight hours after a prior notice of revocation that was given within forty-eight hours after the birth of the child. The prior notice of revocation shall be given to the agency or person who sought the consent and may be either oral or written;

(f) The address of the clerk of court where the consent will be presented is included;

(g) Except as provided in (h) of this subsection, after it has been approved by the court, the consent is not revocable except for fraud or duress practiced by the person, department, or agency requesting the consent or for lack of mental competency on the part of the person giving the consent at the time the consent was given. A written consent to adoption may not be revoked more than one year after it is approved by the court;

(h) In the case of a consent to an adoption of an Indian child, no consent shall be valid unless the consent is executed in writing more than ten days after the birth of the child and unless the consent is recorded before a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1913(a). Consent may be withdrawn for any reason at any time prior to the entry of the final decree of adoption. Consent may be withdrawn for fraud or duress within two years of the entry of the final decree of adoption. Revocation of the consent prior to a final decree of adoption, may be delivered or mailed to the clerk of the court or made orally to the court which shall certify such revocation. Revocation of the consent is effective if received by the clerk of the court prior to the entry of the final decree of adoption or made orally to the court at any time prior to the entry of the final decree of adoption. Upon withdrawal of consent, the court shall return the child to the parent unless the child has been taken into custody pursuant to RCW 13.34.050 or 26.44.050, placed in shelter care pursuant to RCW 13.34.060, or placed in foster care pursuant to RCW 13.34.130; and

(i) The following statement has been read before signing the consent:

I understand that my decision to relinquish the child is an extremely important one, that the legal effect of this relinquishment will be to take from me all legal rights and obligations with respect to the child, and that an order permanently terminating all of my parental rights to the child will be entered. I also understand that there are social services and counseling services available in the community, and that there may be financial assistance available through state and local governmental agencies.

(5) A written consent to adoption which meets all the requirements of this chapter but which does not name or otherwise identify the adopting parent is valid if it contains a statement that it is voluntarily executed without disclosure of the name or other identification of the adopting parent.

(6) There must be a witness to the consent of the parent or alleged father. The witness must be at least eighteen years of age and selected by the parent or alleged father. The consent document shall contain a statement identifying by name, address, and relationship the witness selected by the parent or alleged father.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. 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. 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.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 26.33 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department shall establish a putative father registry that shall record the names and addresses of:

(a) Any person adjudicated by a court of this state to be the father of a child born out of wedlock;

(b) Any person who has filed with the registry before or after the birth of a child out of wedlock, a notice of intent to claim paternity of the child;

(c) Any person adjudicated by a court of another state or territory of the United States to be the father of an out of wedlock child, where a certified copy of the court order has been filed with the registry by such person or any other person; and

(d) Any person who has filed with the registry an instrument acknowledging paternity.

(2) A person filing a notice of intent to claim paternity of a child or an acknowledgement of paternity shall include therein his current address and shall notify the registry of any change of address pursuant to procedures by rule of the department.

(3) A person who has filed a notice of intent to claim paternity may at any time revoke a notice of intent to claim paternity previously filed and, upon receipt of such notification by the registry, the revoked notice of intent to claim paternity shall be deemed null nunc pro tunc.

(4) An unrevoked notice of intent to claim paternity of a child may be introduced in evidence by any party, other than the person who filed such notice, in any proceeding in which the fact may be relevant.

(5) The department shall, upon request, provide the names and addresses of persons listed with the registry to any court or authorized agency, and the information shall not be divulged to any other person except upon order of a court for good cause shown.