By: Campbell, et al. S.B. No. 1362
(In the Senate - Filed March 6, 2017; March 16, 2017, read
first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
April 3, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9,
Nays 0; April 3, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to notification and informational materials regarding
mutual consent voluntary adoption registries.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. (a) This Act shall be known as the Mothers'
Privacy Protection Act.
(b) It is the intent of the legislature that parties to an
adoption be informed of all future contact options and resources,
while respecting and protecting the decisions of parties to allow
or not allow contact.
SECTION 2. Section 162.403, Family Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
(d) The vital statistics unit shall develop informational
materials for birth parents and adoptive parents regarding the
central registry and the other registries established under
Subsection (b). The unit shall make the informational materials
readily available on the Internet website of the Department of
State Health Services.
(e) An authorized agency shall:
(1) notify in writing the birth parents and adoptive
parents of a child for whom the authorized agency is providing
adoption services of the existence of:
(A) the central registry; and
(B) any registry established by the authorized
agency or by another authorized agency or an association of those
agencies with whom the authorized agency contracts to perform
registry services on its behalf, as applicable; and
(2) provide the birth parents and adoptive parents
with the informational materials described by Subsection (d).
SECTION 3. The vital statistics unit of the Department of
State Health Services shall make available on its Internet website
the informational materials required by Section 162.403(d), Family
Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 2018.
SECTION 4. Section 162.403(e), Family Code, as added by
this Act, applies beginning with a child for whom an authorized
agency is providing adoption services on or after January 1, 2018.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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