Adoption procedures; makes numerous changes. (HB2421)

Introduced By

Del. David Toscano (D-Charlottesville)

Description

Adoption procedures.  Makes numerous changes to adoption procedures including (i) providing that venue for a parental placement adoption consent hearing lies in any city or county in the Commonwealth; (ii) providing that juvenile and domestic relations district courts have jurisdiction over petitions to review an adoption home study and petitions for the court to assist with the execution of another state's or jurisdiction's adoption consent or related document; (iii) under what conditions parental consent is not required for an adoption of a child from another country whose foreign placement will be finalized in the Commonwealth; and (iv) providing that procedures used in parental placement adoptions apply in all cases, except step-parent, relative, and agency placements. The bill also provides that a birth parent's consent to an adoption is not required if he has not visited or contacted the child for six months immediately prior to the filing of the petition for adoption or prior to any adoption-related proceeding in the juvenile and domestic relations district court where the birth parent has been notified of the Putative Father Registry or other adoption-related proceeding or has been contacted for the purpose of seeking his cooperation in a future adoption proceeding. Current law only provides that the birth parent's consent is not required if he had not visited or contacted the child for six months prior to the filing of the petition for adoption. Read the Bill »

Outcome

History