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 37 Reengrossed 2021 Regular Session Bacala
Abstract: Requires 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 visits by a social worker, counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or
therapist, who is required to document each visit, prior to the final agency adoption decree. The
observations made during the visits shall be used in making recommendations for finalizations of
agency adoptions.
Proposed law requires the families and children be provided assistance, consultation, and twenty-four
hour crisis intervention through finalization.
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 visits by a social worker, counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or
therapist, who is required to document each visit, prior to the final private adoption decree. The
observations made during the visits shall be used in making recommendations for finalizations of
private adoptions.
(Amends Ch.C. Arts. 1213(A) and (B), 1233, and 1235; Adds Ch.C. Arts. 1213(D), 1217.1, and
1239.1)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure to the
original bill: 1. Remove references to "supervisory visits".
2. Specify that private visits with each child shall be without the presence of the adoptive
parents.
3. Change the yearly adoptive statistical requirement to include all children, not just
children born in La.
4. Make technical changes.