reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
AR Code § 9-9-408 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 4 - Arkansas Subsidized Adoption Act|§ 9-9-408. Subsidy agreement required — Commencement of subsidy

 (a) When parents are found and approved for adoption of a child certified as eligible for a subsidy and before the final decree of adoption is issued, there must be a written agreement between the family entering into the subsidized adoption and the Department of Human Services.  (b)  (1) Adoption subsidies, the amount of which in individual cases shall be determined through agreement between the adoptive parents and the department but shall be no more than the current foster care board rate, may commence with the adoption placement or at the appropriate time after the adoption decree and may vary with the circumstances of the adopting parents and the needs of the child as well as the availability of other resources to meet the child's needs.  (2)  (A) In the case of the special needs child whose eligibility is based on a high risk for development of a serious physical, mental, developmental, or emotional condition, the adoption subsidy agreement shall not provide for an adoption subsidy until the child actually develops the condition.  (B) A subsidy payment shall not be made until adequate documentation is submitted by the adoptive parents to the department showing that the child has now developed the condition.  (C) Upon acceptance by the department that the child has developed the condition, the adoption subsidy shall be retroactive to the date the adoptive parents submitted adequate documentation that the child developed the condition.      (c)  (1) When a child is determined to have a causative preexisting condition which was not identified or known prior to the final decree of adoption and which has resulted in a severe medical or psychiatric condition that requires extensive treatment, hospitalization, or institutionalization, an adoption subsidy may be approved.  (2) Upon the approval of the subsidy, the adoptive parents shall also be entitled to receive retroactive subsidy payments for the two (2) months prior to the date such subsidy was approved.  (3) This subsection will apply only to adoptive placements made on or after April 28, 1979.
AR Code § 9-9-409 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 4 - Arkansas Subsidized Adoption Act|§ 9-9-409. Subsidy amounts

 (a) The amount of the subsidy may be readjusted periodically with the concurrence of the adopting parents, which may be specified in the adoption subsidy agreement, depending upon a change in circumstances.  (b) The subsidy may be for special services not covered by any other available resource, which include health or education services. To ensure the services remain appropriate, the services will be reviewed periodically.  (c) The amount of the time-limited or long-term subsidy may in no case exceed that which would be allowable from time to time for the child under foster family care or, in the case of a special service, the reasonable fee for the service rendered.
AR Code § 9-9-410 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 4 - Arkansas Subsidized Adoption Act|§ 9-9-410. Subsidy agreements — Duration

 (a)  (1) The subsidy agreement shall be binding and constitute an obligation against the State of Arkansas until the adopted child reaches the age of eighteen (18) years or the benefits available to him or her under the subsidy agreement are provided by other state or federal programs or the adoptive parents no longer qualify for a subsidy under the current rules for subsidized adoptions.  (2)  (A) The adoptive parents shall immediately notify the Department of Human Services when the adopted child is no longer under the care of the adoptive parents.  (B) The department shall review the adoption subsidy agreement and determine if the adoption subsidy shall be terminated when the adoptive parent is no longer legally responsible for providing care and support for the adopted child.      (b) If funding for the subsidized program is discontinued, all contracts that have been executed under this section and §§ 9-9-408 and 9-9-411 shall continue to be honored and shall be a valid claim against the State of Arkansas in keeping with the original subsidy agreement as long as eligibility for the subsidy continues under § 9-9-411.  (c) The subsidy agreement may be extended until the age of twenty-one (21) years if the child has a documented disability or condition that prevents the child from existing independently from the adoptive family. To be eligible for the extended subsidy, the family of the child must have applied for supplemental security income benefits prior to the child's turning eighteen (18) years and have been denied.
AR Code § 9-9-411 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 4 - Arkansas Subsidized Adoption Act|§ 9-9-411. Subsidy agreements — Renewal, termination, or modification

 (a)  (1)  (A) When subsidies are for more than one (1) year, the adoptive parents shall present an annual sworn certification that the adopted child remains under their care and that the condition that caused the child to be certified continues to exist.  (B) An adoptive parent commits the offense of providing a false statement if the adoptive parent certifies that the adopted child remains under the adoptive parent's care knowing the certification to be false.  (C) Providing a false statement under this subsection is a Class A misdemeanor.    (2) The subsidy agreement may be continued in accordance with the terms by entering into a new agreement each year but only as long as the adopted child is the legal dependent of the adoptive parents and the child's condition continues, except that, in the absence of other appropriate resources provided by law and in accordance with Arkansas rules, it may not be continued after the adopted child reaches majority.    (b) Termination or modification of the subsidy agreement may be requested by the adoptive parents at any time.
AR Code § 9-9-412 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 4 - Arkansas Subsidized Adoption Act|§ 9-9-412. Appeals

 Any subsidy decision by the Department of Human Services which the placement agency or the adoptive parents deem adverse to the child shall be reviewable according to the provisions of § 20-76-408.
AR Code § 9-9-501 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 5 - Voluntary Adoption Registry|§ 9-9-501. Definitions

 As used in this subchapter:   (1) “Administrator” means the person charged with maintenance and supervision of a registry and may include the administrator's agents, employees, and designees;  (2) “Adoptee” means a person who has been legally adopted in this state;  (3) “Adoption” means the judicial act of creating the relationship of parent and child when it did not exist previously;  (4) “Adoptive parent” means an adult who has become a parent of a child through the legal process of adoption;  (5) “Adult” means a person eighteen (18) or more years of age;  (6) “Agency” means any public or voluntary organization licensed or approved pursuant to the laws of any jurisdiction within the United States to place children for adoption;  (7) “Birth parent” means:  (A) The man or woman deemed or adjudicated under laws of a jurisdiction of the United States to be the father or mother of genetic origin of a child; or  (B)  (i) A putative father of a child if his name appears on the original sealed birth certificate of the child or if he has been alleged by the birth mother to be and has in writing acknowledged being the child's biological father.  (ii) A putative father who has denied or refused to admit paternity shall be deemed not to be a birth parent in the absence of an adjudication under the laws of a jurisdiction of the United States that he is the biological father of the child;      (8) “Genetic and social history” means a comprehensive report, when obtainable, on the birth parents, siblings of the birth parents, if any, other children of either birth parent, if any, and any parents of the birth parents, that shall contain the following information:  (A) Medical history;  (B) Health status;  (C) Cause of and age at death;  (D) Height, weight, eye color, and hair color;  (E) When appropriate, levels of educational and professional achievement;  (F) Ethnic origins; and  (G) Religion, if any;    (9) “Health history” means a comprehensive report of the child's health status at the time of placement for adoption and medical history, including neonatal, psychological, physiological, and medical care history;  (10) “Mutual consent voluntary adoption registry” or “registry” means a place provided for in this subchapter where eligible persons may indicate their willingness to have their identity and whereabouts disclosed to each other under conditions specified in this subchapter; and  (11) “Putative father” means any man not deemed or adjudicated under the laws of the jurisdiction of the United States to be the father of genetic origin of a child who claims or is alleged to be the father of genetic origin of the child.
AR Code § 9-9-502 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 5 - Voluntary Adoption Registry|§ 9-9-502. Penalty

 (a)  (1) No person, agency, entity, or organization of any kind, including, but not limited to, any officer or employee of this state and any employee, officer, or judge of any court of this state shall disclose any confidential information relating to any adoption, except as provided by statute or pursuant to a court order.  (2) Any employer who knowingly or negligently allows any employee to disclose information in violation of this subchapter shall be subject to the penalties provided in subsection (b) of this section, together with the employee who made any disclosure prohibited by this subchapter.    (b) Any person, agency, entity, or organization of any kind that discloses information in violation of this subchapter shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
AR Code § 9-9-503 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 5 - Voluntary Adoption Registry|§ 9-9-503. Registry — Establishment and maintenance

 (a)  (1) A mutual consent voluntary adoption registry may be established and maintained by any licensed voluntary agency involved in an adoption.  (2) Persons eligible to receive identifying information shall work through the agency involved in the adoption. If that agency has merged or ceased operations, a successor agency may assume possession of the files for the purpose of establishing, maintaining, and operating the mutual consent voluntary adoption registry concerning those adoptions.  (3) Any licensed voluntary agency may delegate or otherwise contract with another licensed voluntary agency with expertise in post-legal adoption services to establish, maintain, and operate the registry for the delegating agency.  (4) If any agency ceasing to operate does not transfer adoption records to another licensed agency, it shall provide all records required to be maintained by law to the Department of Human Services.    (b) The department shall establish and maintain a mutual consent voluntary adoption registry for all adoptions arranged by the department or may contract out the function of establishing and maintaining the registry to a licensed voluntary agency with expertise in providing postlegal adoption services, in which case the agency shall establish and maintain the registry that would otherwise be operated by the department.  (c) The department shall keep records of every adult adoptee and birth parent reunited through the use of the mutual consent voluntary adoption registry.
AR Code § 9-9-505 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 5 - Voluntary Adoption Registry|§ 9-9-505. Compilation of nonidentifying history

 (a) Prior to placement for adoption, the licensed adoption agency or, when an agency is not involved, the person, entity, or organization handling the adoption shall compile and provide to the prospective adoptive parents a detailed, written health history and genetic and social history of the child that excludes information that would identify birth parents or members of a birth parent's family and that shall be set forth in a document that is separate from any document containing such identifying information.  (b) Records containing the nonidentifying information and that are set forth on a document that is separate from any document containing identifying data:  (1)  (A) Shall be retained by the agency or, when no agency is involved, by the person, entity, or organization handling the adoption, for ninety-nine (99) years.  (B)  (i) If the agency or person, entity, or organization who handled the adoption ceases to function, that agency or intermediary shall transfer records containing the nonidentifying information on the adoptee to the Department of Human Services.  (ii) However, a licensed agency ceasing operation may transfer the records to another licensed agency within this state, but only if the agency transferring the records gives notice of the transfer to the department; and      (2) Shall be available upon request throughout the time specified in subdivision (b)(1) of this section, together with any additional nonidentifying information that may have been added on health or on genetic and social history, but which excludes information identifying any birth parent or member of a birth parent's family or the adoptee or any adoptive parent of the adoptee, to the following persons only:  (A) The adoptive parents of the child or, in the event of death of the adoptive parents, the child's guardian;  (B) The adoptee;  (C) In the event of the death of the adoptee, the adoptee's children, the adoptee's widow or widower, or the guardian of any child of the adoptee;  (D) The birth parent of the adoptee; and  (E) Any child welfare agency having custody of the adoptee.      (c) The actual and reasonable cost of providing nonidentifying health history and genetic and social history shall be paid by the person requesting the information.
AR Code § 9-9-506 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 5 - Voluntary Adoption Registry|§ 9-9-506. Disclosure of information

 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the information acquired by any registry shall not be disclosed under any sunshine or freedom of information legislation, rules, or practice.  (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person, group of persons, or entity, including any agency, may file a class action to force the registry to disclose identifying information.  (c) In exceptional circumstances, specified papers and records pertaining to particular adoptions may be inspected by the adoptee, the adoptive parents, and the birth parents if the court granting the adoption finds by clear and convincing evidence that good cause exists for the inspection.
AR Code § 9-9-507 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 5 - Voluntary Adoption Registry|§ 9-9-507. Maintenance of records

 All records of any adoption finalized in this state shall be maintained for ninety-nine (99) years by the agency, entity, organization, or person arranging the adoption.
AR Code § 9-9-508 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 5 - Voluntary Adoption Registry|§ 9-9-508. Rules

 The Department of Human Services shall issue such rules as are necessary for implementing this subchapter.
AR Code § 9-9-601 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 6 - Legal Representation|§ 9-9-601. The Governor's Pro Bono Adoption Service Award

 (a) The Governor shall award the Governor's Pro Bono Adoption Service Award by proclamation in recognition of the efforts and sacrifice of those attorneys who provide adoption services on a volunteer basis.  (b) Those receiving the Governor's Pro Bono Adoption Service Award shall be selected from a list of names that may be submitted annually to the Governor by judges, attorneys, the Department of Human Services, and other related organizations, agencies, and professional associations.
AR Code § 9-9-701 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 7 - The Streamline Adoption Act|§ 9-9-701. Streamlined adoptions by the Department of Human Services

 (a)  (1) A family who adopts a child from the Department of Human Services shall be eligible for the streamlined adoption process if the family chooses to adopt another child from the department and the department selects the family to be the adoptive parents of a child in the custody of the department.  (2) The adoptive family is not eligible for the streamlined adoption process if more than five (5) years have passed since the adoptive family finalized the adoption of a child placed by the department in the adoptive home.    (b) Upon contact by the adoptive family, the department shall:  (1)  (A) Obtain a copy of the original home study completed on the adoptive family.  (B) If needed, the department shall unseal the adoption file from the previous adoption pursuant to § 9-9-217(a) in order to obtain a copy of the original home study on the adoptive family; and    (2) Complete an update to the original home study within forty-five (45) business days from contact by the adoptive family.    (c) The adoptive family shall be required to obtain updated criminal background checks and central registry checks as outlined in this chapter.  (d) The department shall not require the adoptive family to attend training.  (e) The department shall place the adoptive family in the pool of waiting adoptive families eligible to adopt a child from the department upon:  (1) Completion of the updated home study that is favorable; and  (2) Receipt of the:  (A) Criminal background check; and  (B) Central registry check.      (f)  (1) A family who has a foster child in its home who was placed by the department shall be eligible for the streamlined adoption process if the department selects the foster family to be the adoptive family of the foster child.  (2) Upon selection, the department shall complete the adoptive home study within forty-five (45) business days.  (3) The department shall not require the foster family to attend training.
AR Code § 9-9-801 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 8 - Adoption Records|§ 9-9-801. Definitions

 As used in this subchapter:   (1) “Adoption file” means a file maintained by the Department of Health that contains an original birth certificate and adoption decree of an adoptee;  (2) “Genetic and social history” has the same meaning as provided under § 9-9-501; and  (3) “Requester” means a person twenty-one (21) years of age or older who requests an adoption file under § 9-9-803 and is:  (A) The adoptee to whom the adoption file requested pertains; or  (B) The child, surviving spouse, or guardian of any child of a deceased adoptee to whom the adoption file requested pertains.
AR Code § 9-9-803 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 8 - Adoption Records|§ 9-9-803. Access to adoption file

 (a) Beginning August 1, 2018, a requester may submit a written request for a copy of an adoption file from the Department of Health.  (b)  (1) A request submitted under this section shall include the requester's address and notarized signature and satisfactory proof of the requester's identity as determined by the department.  (2) If the requester is the child, widow or widower, or guardian of any child of the deceased adoptee to whom the adoption file pertains, the requester shall also provide notarized documentation evidencing the requester's relationship to the adoptee.    (c)  (1) Upon receipt of a request made under subsection (a) of this section, the department shall mail the adoption file to the requester at the address provided in the request.  (2) If an adoption file contains a form submitted under § 9-9-802(a)(2)(A)(i), the department shall redact the birth parent's name from the copy of the adoption file before it is mailed to the requester.  (3) If a form under § 9-9-802(a)(2)(A)(ii) is submitted after a copy of the adoption file is mailed to the requester, the department shall mail the requester another copy of the adoption file with the birth parent's name included in the adoption file within thirty (30) days of the date the form was removed.  (4) Before mailing a requester an adoption file under subdivision (c)(1) of this section, the department shall mark the certified copy of the original birth certificate contained in the adoption file as “not intended for official use” or similar.    (d) The department shall mail a requester an adoption file by certified mail, return receipt requested.  (e)  (1) If an adoption file contains a form submitted under § 9-9-802(a)(3)(A)(i) and (ii), the department shall include the form in the adoption file mailed to a requester.  (2) A form included in the adoption file under this subsection shall be redacted in accordance with subdivision (c)(2) of this section.    (f)  (1) The department may charge a requester a fee of one hundred dollars ($100) for the department's provision of the adoption file requested.  (2) The department may change the amount of the fee charged to a requester under subdivision (f)(1) of this section in accordance with the department's rules.
AR Code § 9-9-804 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 9 - Adoption|Subchapter 8 - Adoption Records|§ 9-9-804. Immunity

 An officer or employee of the Department of Health who releases any information contained in an adoption file or provides a copy of an adoption file to a requester is not criminally liable or civilly liable in damages to any person for injury, death, or loss allegedly arising from the release of the information or copy if the officer or employee releases the information or copy in accordance with § 9-9-803.
AR Code § 9-10-104 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 10 - Paternity|Subchapter 1 - General Provisions|§ 9-10-104. Suit to determine paternity of child born outside of marriage

 Petitions for paternity establishment may be filed by:   (1) A biological mother;  (2) A putative father;  (3) A person for whom paternity is not presumed or established by court order, including a parent or grandparent of a deceased putative father; or  (4) The Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration.
AR Code § 9-10-105 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 9 - Family Law|Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations|Chapter 10 - Paternity|Subchapter 1 - General Provisions|§ 9-10-105. Trial by court

 When the case is ready for trial, if the accused denies being the father of the child, the circuit court shall hear the evidence and decide the case.