S.B. 229 Enrolled

             1     

ADOPTION ACT AMENDMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Todd Weiler

             5     
House Sponsor: Brad R. Wilson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends provisions of Title 78B, Chapter 6, Part 1, Utah Adoption Act, relating
             10      to the rights and obligations of individuals in relation to the adoption of a child.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    provides that if a birth mother has not resided in the state for 90 total days or more:
             14              .    the birth mother shall file with the court a declaration regarding each potential
             15      birth father; and
             16              .    the court may, based on the declaration regarding the potential birth father, order
             17      the birth mother to serve a potential birth father notice that she intends to
             18      consent to adoption or relinquishment of the child for adoption.
             19      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             20          None
             21      Other Special Clauses:
             22          None
             23      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             24      AMENDS:
             25           78B-6-110 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 458
             26      ENACTS:
             27           78B-6-110.5 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             28     
             29      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:


             30          Section 1. Section 78B-6-110 is amended to read:
             31           78B-6-110. Notice of adoption proceedings.
             32          (1) (a) An unmarried biological father, by virtue of the fact that he has engaged in a
             33      sexual relationship with a woman:
             34          (i) is considered to be on notice that a pregnancy and an adoption proceeding regarding
             35      the child may occur; and
             36          (ii) has a duty to protect his own rights and interests.
             37          (b) An unmarried biological father is entitled to actual notice of a birth or an adoption
             38      proceeding with regard to his child only as provided in this section or Section 78B-6-110.5 .
             39          (2) Notice of an adoption proceeding shall be served on each of the following persons:
             40          (a) any person or agency whose consent or relinquishment is required under Section
             41      78B-6-120 or 78B-6-121 , unless that right has been terminated by:
             42          (i) waiver;
             43          (ii) relinquishment;
             44          (iii) actual consent, as described in Subsection (12); or
             45          (iv) judicial action;
             46          (b) any person who has initiated a paternity proceeding and filed notice of that action
             47      with the state registrar of vital statistics within the Department of Health, in accordance with
             48      Subsection (3);
             49          (c) any legally appointed custodian or guardian of the adoptee;
             50          (d) the petitioner's spouse, if any, only if the petitioner's spouse has not joined in the
             51      petition;
             52          (e) the adoptee's spouse, if any;
             53          (f) any person who, prior to the time the mother executes her consent for adoption or
             54      relinquishes the child for adoption, is recorded on the birth certificate as the child's father, with
             55      the knowledge and consent of the mother;
             56          (g) a person who is:
             57          (i) openly living in the same household with the child at the time the consent is


             58      executed or relinquishment made; and
             59          (ii) holding himself out to be the child's father; and
             60          (h) any person who is married to the child's mother at the time she executes her consent
             61      to the adoption or relinquishes the child for adoption, unless the court finds that the mother's
             62      spouse is not the child's father under Section 78B-15-607 .
             63          (3) (a) In order to preserve any right to notice, an unmarried biological father shall,
             64      consistent with Subsection (3)(d):
             65          (i) initiate proceedings in a district court of Utah to establish paternity under Title 78B,
             66      Chapter 15, Utah Uniform Parentage Act; and
             67          (ii) file a notice of commencement of the proceedings described in Subsection (3)(a)(i)
             68      with the office of vital statistics within the Department of Health.
             69          (b) If the unmarried, biological father does not know the county in which the birth
             70      mother resides, he may initiate his action in any county, subject to a change in trial pursuant to
             71      Section 78B-3-307 .
             72          (c) The Department of Health shall provide forms for the purpose of filing the notice
             73      described in Subsection (3)(a)(ii), and make those forms available in the office of the county
             74      health department in each county.
             75          (d) When the state registrar of vital statistics receives a completed form, the registrar
             76      shall:
             77          (i) record the date and time the form was received; and
             78          (ii) immediately enter the information provided by the unmarried biological father in
             79      the confidential registry established by Subsection 78B-6-121 (3)(c).
             80          (e) The action and notice described in Subsection (3)(a):
             81          (i) may be filed before or after the child's birth; and
             82          (ii) shall be filed prior to the mother's:
             83          (A) execution of consent to adoption of the child; or
             84          (B) relinquishment of the child for adoption.
             85          (4) Notice provided in accordance with this section need not disclose the name of the


             86      mother of the child who is the subject of an adoption proceeding.
             87          (5) The notice required by this section:
             88          (a) may be served at any time after the petition for adoption is filed, but may not be
             89      served on a birth mother before she has given birth to the child who is the subject of the
             90      petition for adoption;
             91          (b) shall be served at least 30 days prior to the final dispositional hearing;
             92          (c) shall specifically state that the person served shall fulfill the requirements of
             93      Subsection (6)(a), within 30 days after the day on which the person receives service if the
             94      person intends to intervene in or contest the adoption;
             95          (d) shall state the consequences, described in Subsection (6)(b), for failure of a person
             96      to file a motion for relief within 30 days after the day on which the person is served with notice
             97      of an adoption proceeding;
             98          (e) is not required to include, nor be accompanied by, a summons or a copy of the
             99      petition for adoption; and
             100          (f) shall state where the person may obtain a copy of the petition for adoption.
             101          (6) (a) A person who has been served with notice of an adoption proceeding and who
             102      wishes to contest the adoption shall file a motion to intervene in the adoption proceeding:
             103          (i) within 30 days after the day on which the person was served with notice of the
             104      adoption proceeding;
             105          (ii) setting forth specific relief sought; and
             106          (iii) accompanied by a memorandum specifying the factual and legal grounds upon
             107      which the motion is based.
             108          (b) A person who fails to fully and strictly comply with all of the requirements
             109      described in Subsection (6)(a) within 30 days after the day on which the person was served
             110      with notice of the adoption proceeding:
             111          (i) waives any right to further notice in connection with the adoption;
             112          (ii) forfeits all rights in relation to the adoptee; and
             113          (iii) is barred from thereafter bringing or maintaining any action to assert any interest in


             114      the adoptee.
             115          (7) Service of notice under this section shall be made as follows:
             116          (a) (i) Subject to Subsection (5)(e), service on a person whose consent is necessary
             117      under Section 78B-6-120 or 78B-6-121 shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Utah
             118      Rules of Civil Procedure.
             119          (ii) If service of a person described in Subsection (7)(a)(i) is by publication, the court
             120      shall designate the content of the notice regarding the identity of the parties.
             121          (iii) The notice described in this Subsection (7)(a) may not include the name of a
             122      person seeking to adopt the adoptee.
             123          (b) (i) Except as provided in Subsection (7)(b)(ii) to any other person for whom notice
             124      is required under this section, service by certified mail, return receipt requested, is sufficient.
             125          (ii) If the service described in Subsection (7)(b)(i) cannot be completed after two
             126      attempts, the court may issue an order providing for service by publication, posting, or by any
             127      other manner of service.
             128          (c) Notice to a person who has initiated a paternity proceeding and filed notice of that
             129      action with the state registrar of vital statistics in the Department of Health in accordance with
             130      the requirements of Subsection (3), shall be served by certified mail, return receipt requested, at
             131      the last address filed with the registrar.
             132          (8) The notice required by this section may be waived in writing by the person entitled
             133      to receive notice.
             134          (9) Proof of service of notice on all persons for whom notice is required by this section
             135      shall be filed with the court before the final dispositional hearing on the adoption.
             136          (10) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, neither the notice of an adoption
             137      proceeding nor any process in that proceeding is required to contain the name of the person or
             138      persons seeking to adopt the adoptee.
             139          (11) Except as to those persons whose consent to an adoption is required under Section
             140      78B-6-120 or 78B-6-121 , the sole purpose of notice under this section is to enable the person
             141      served to:


             142          (a) intervene in the adoption; and
             143          (b) present evidence to the court relevant to the best interest of the child.
             144          (12) In order to be excused from the requirement to provide notice as described in
             145      Subsection (2)(a) on the grounds that the person has provided consent to the adoption
             146      proceeding under Subsection (2)(a)(iii), the consent may not be implied consent, as described
             147      in Section 78B-6-120.1 .
             148          Section 2. Section 78B-6-110.5 is enacted to read:
             149          78B-6-110.5. Out-of-state birth mothers and adoptive parents -- Declaration
             150      regarding potential birth fathers.
             151          (1) (a) For a child who is six months of age or less at the time the child is placed with
             152      prospective adoptive parents, if, at any point during the time period beginning at the conception
             153      of the child and ending at the time the mother executes consent to adoption or relinquishment
             154      of the child for adoption, the birth mother or at least one of the adoptive parents has not resided
             155      in the state for 90 total days or more, as described in Subsection (1)(c), the birth mother shall
             156      file with the court a declaration regarding each potential birth father, in accordance with this
             157      section, before or at the time a petition for adoption is filed with the court.
             158          (b) The birth mother shall search the putative father registry of each state where the
             159      birth mother believes the child may have been conceived and each state where the birth mother
             160      lived during her pregnancy, if the state has a putative father registry, to determine whether a
             161      potential birth father registered with the state's putative father registry.
             162          (c) In determining whether the 90-day requirement is satisfied, the following apply:
             163          (i) the 90 days are not required to be consecutive;
             164          (ii) no absence from the state may be for more than seven consecutive days;
             165          (iii) any day on which the individual is absent from the state does not count toward the
             166      total 90-day period; and
             167          (iv) the 90-day period begins and ends during a period that is no more than 120
             168      consecutive days.
             169          (2) The declaration filed under Subsection (1) regarding a potential birth father shall


             170      include, for each potential birth father, the following information:
             171          (a) if known, the potential birth father's name, date of birth, Social Security number,
             172      and address;
             173          (b) with regard to a state's putative father registry in each state described in Subsection
             174      (1)(b):
             175          (i) whether the state has a putative father registry; and
             176          (ii) for each state that has a putative father registry, with the declaration, a certificate or
             177      written statement from the state's putative father registry that a search of the state's putative
             178      father registry was made and disclosing the results of the search;
             179          (c) whether the potential birth father was notified of:
             180          (i) the birth mother's pregnancy;
             181          (ii) the fact that he is a potential birth father; or
             182          (iii) the fact that the birth mother intends to consent to adoption or relinquishment of
             183      the child for adoption, in Utah;
             184          (d) each state where the birth mother lived during the pregnancy;
             185          (e) if known, the state in which the child was conceived;
             186          (f) whether the birth mother informed the potential birth father that she was traveling to
             187      or planning to reside in Utah;
             188          (g) whether the birth mother has contacted the potential birth father while she was
             189      located in Utah;
             190          (h) whether, and for how long, the potential birth father has ever lived with the child;
             191          (i) whether the potential birth father has given the birth mother money or offered to pay
             192      for any of her expenses during pregnancy or the child's birth;
             193          (j) whether the potential birth father has offered to pay child support;
             194          (k) if known, whether the potential birth father has taken any legal action to establish
             195      paternity of the child, either in Utah or in any other state, and, if known, what action he has
             196      taken; and
             197          (l) whether the birth mother has ever been involved in a domestic violence matter with


             198      the potential birth father.
             199          (3) Based on the declaration regarding the potential birth father, the court shall order
             200      the birth mother to serve a potential birth father notice that she intends to consent or has
             201      consented to adoption or relinquishment of the child for adoption, if the court finds that the
             202      potential birth father:
             203          (a) has taken sufficient action to demonstrate an interest in the child;
             204          (b) has taken sufficient action to attempt to preserve his legal rights as a birth father,
             205      including by filing a legal action to establish paternity or filing with a state's putative father
             206      registry; or
             207          (c) does not know, and does not have a reason to know, that:
             208          (i) the mother or child are present in Utah;
             209          (ii) the mother intended to give birth to the child in Utah;
             210          (iii) the child was born in Utah; or
             211          (iv) the mother intends to consent to adoption or relinquishment of the child for
             212      adoption in Utah.
             213          (4) Notice under this section shall be made in accordance with Subsections
             214      78B-6-110 (7) through (12).


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