| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | SENATE BILL 1005 |
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| 6 | 6 | | By Haile |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | SB1005 |
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| 10 | 10 | | 003227 |
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| 11 | 11 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 18; |
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| 14 | 14 | | Title 36 and Title 37, relative to adoption. |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-116, is amended by designating |
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| 18 | 18 | | subsection (b) as subdivision (b)(1) and adding the following as a new subdivision (b)(2): |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, if the petitioners are |
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| 21 | 21 | | seeking to adopt more than one (1) child at the same time and the children are |
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| 22 | 22 | | siblings who share at least one (1) biological parent, then the petitioners may |
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| 23 | 23 | | include all of the children in one (1) petition to adopt unless the court issues a |
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| 24 | 24 | | written order finding that it is in the best interest of the children that separate |
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| 25 | 25 | | petitions be filed. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (B) The clerk of court shall charge only one (1) filing fee for a petition |
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| 27 | 27 | | filed pursuant to subdivision (b)(2)(A). |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-113(d), is amended by adding |
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| 29 | 29 | | the following as a new subdivision: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (5) |
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| 31 | 31 | | (A) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, if the petitioners are |
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| 32 | 32 | | seeking to adopt more than one (1) child at the same time and the children are |
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| 33 | 33 | | siblings who share at least one (1) biological parent, then the petitioners may |
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| 34 | 34 | | include all of the children in one (1) petition to terminate parental rights, if filed |
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| 35 | 35 | | |
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| 36 | 36 | | |
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| 37 | 37 | | - 2 - 003227 |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | separately from the adoption petition, unless the court issues a written order |
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| 40 | 40 | | finding that it is in the best interest of the children that separate petitions be filed. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (B) The clerk of court shall charge only one (1) filing fee for a petition |
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| 42 | 42 | | filed pursuant to subdivision (d)(5)(A). |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. |
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