Source: https://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2019/hb1728/fulltext/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 05:07:41+00:00

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Richmond Sunlight » HB1728: Post-adoption contact & communication agreements; authority to enter into agreements.
§ 16.1-283.1. Authority to enter into voluntary post-adoption contact and communication agreement.
A. In any case in which a child has been placed in foster care as a result of (i) court commitment, (ii) an entrustment agreement entered into by the parent or parents, or (iii) other voluntary relinquishment by the parent or parents, or in any case in which the parent or parents have voluntarily consented to the adoption of the child, the child's birth parent or parents may enter into a written post-adoption contact and communication agreement with the pre-adoptive parent or parents as provided in Article 1.1 (§ 63.2-1220.2 et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2. Unless the parental rights of the birth parent or parents have been terminated pursuant to subsection E of § 16.1-283, a local board of social services or child welfare agency required to file a petition for a permanency planning hearing pursuant to § 16.1-282.1 may inform the birth parent or parents and shall inform the adoptive parent or parents that they may enter into such an agreement and shall inform the child if he is 14 years of age or older that he may consent to such an agreement.
B. The court may consider the appropriateness of a written post-adoption contact and communication agreement entered into pursuant to subsection A and in accordance with Article 1.1 (§ 63.2-1220.2 et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2 at the permanency planning hearing pursuant to § 16.1-282.1 and, if the court finds that all of the requirements of subsection A and Article 1.1 (§ 63.2-1220.2 et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2 have been met, shall incorporate the written post-adoption contact and communication agreement into an order entered at the conclusion of such hearing.
A. In any proceeding for adoption pursuant to this chapter, the birth parent(s) and the adoptive parent(s) of a child may enter into a written post-adoption contact and communication agreement. A post-adoption contact and communication agreement may include, but is not limited to, provisions related to contact and communication between the child, the birth parent(s), and the adoptive parent(s) and provisions for the sharing of information about the child, including sharing of photographs of the child and information about the child's education, health, and welfare. Unless the parental rights of the birth parent or parents have been terminated pursuant to subsection E of § 16.1-283, a local board of social services or child welfare agency required to file a petition for a permanency planning hearing pursuant to § 16.1-282.1 may inform the birth parent or parents and shall inform the adoptive parent or parents that they may enter into such an agreement and shall inform the child if he is 14 years of age or older that he may consent to such an agreement.
HOUSE BILL NO. 1728 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the House Committee for Courts of Justice on January 25, 2019) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Reid) A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 16.1-283.1 and 63.2-1220.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to post-adoption contact and communication agreements.
HOUSE BILL NO. 1728 Offered January 9, 2019 Prefiled December 19, 2018 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 16.1-283.1, 63.2-1220.2, and 63.2-1220.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to post-adoption contact and communication agreements.
A. In any case in which a child has been placed in foster care as a result of court commitment, an entrustment agreement entered into by the parent or parents, or other voluntary relinquishment by the parent or parents, or in which the parent or parents have voluntarily consented to the adoption of the child, the child's birth parent or parents may enter into a written post-adoption contact and communication agreement with the pre-adoptive parent or parents as provided in Article 1.1 (§ 63.2-1220.2 et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2.
B. The court may shall consider the appropriateness of a written post-adoption contact and communication agreement entered into pursuant to subsection A and in accordance with Article 1.1 (§ 63.2-1220.2 et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2 at the permanency planning hearing pursuant to § 16.1-282.1 and, if the court finds that all of the requirements of subsection A and Article 1.1 (§ 63.2-1220.2 et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2 have been met, shall incorporate the written post-adoption contact and communication agreement into an order entered at the conclusion of such hearing.
A. In any proceeding for adoption pursuant to this chapter, the birth parent(s) and the adoptive parent(s) of a child may enter into a written post-adoption contact and communication agreement. In any proceeding for adoptions pursuant to Article 2 (§ 63.2-1221 et seq.), the agency authorized to place the child for adoption shall inform the birth parent(s) and the adoptive parent(s) of a child that they may enter into such an agreement. A post-adoption contact and communication agreement may include, but is not limited to, provisions related to contact and communication between the child, the birth parent(s), and the adoptive parent(s) and provisions for the sharing of information about the child, including sharing of photographs of the child and information about the child's education, health, and welfare.
4. Where the child is 14 years of age or older, consent to the post-adoption contact and communication agreement is not obtained from the child.
For a plain English description of this bill, comments, voting, tagging, etc., return to the main page for HB1728.

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