DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 215 Original 2020 Regular Session Bacala
Abstract: Requires supervisory visits from the Dept. of Children and Family Services (DCFS) or
its designee in agency adoptions and private adoptions; requires non-identifying statistical
information be reported to DCFS; requires DCFS to report statistics on adoptions in-state and
out-of-state; and shortens the length of time for the final decree at first hearing for private
adoptions.
Proposed law requires multiple supervisory visits from DCFS or its designee prior to the final
adoption decree. DCFS or its designee is required to document each visit, and the observations made
during the supervisory visits shall be used in making recommendations for finalizations of agency
adoptions.
Proposed law requires DCFS or its designee to refer the family to resources if problems arise.
Proposed law requires courts to report adoptions and statistical, non-identifying information to
DCFS.
Proposed law requires DCFS to release a yearly report of adoption statistics within the state and
adoptions that place the child out-of-state.
Present law provides that courts may render a final decree at first hearings for private adoptions if
the child has lived in the petitioner's home for one year.
Proposed law shortens the length of time a child has lived in the petitioner's home to six months.
Proposed law requires multiple supervisory visits from DCFS or its designee prior to the final
adoption decree. DCFS or its designee is required to document each visit, and the observations made
during the supervisory visits shall be used in making recommendations for finalizations for private
adoptions.
(Amends Ch.C. Art. 1233; Adds Ch.C. Arts. 1213(D), 1217.1, 1235(D), and 1239.1)