PRINTER'S NO. 70
No. 76 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY FRANKEL, BALDWIN, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BLAUM, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, COSTA, CREIGHTON, CURRY, DALEY, FABRIZIO, MANDERINO, MANN, McCALL, MELIO, PISTELLA, PRESTON, TIGUE, WASHINGTON, YOUNGBLOOD, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, FREEMAN, MUNDY AND ROSS, JANUARY 25, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JANUARY 25, 2005
AN ACT 1 Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania 2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the Pennsylvania 3 Adoption Exchange. 4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 5 hereby enacts as follows: 6 Section 1. The heading of Subchapter E of Chapter 25 of 7 Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended to 8 read: 9 SUBCHAPTER E 10 Pennsylvania Adoption [Cooperative] Exchange 11 Section 2. Sections 2551, 2552, 2553, 2554 and 2555 of Title 12 23 are amended to read: 13 § 2551. Definitions. 14 The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter 15 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 16 context clearly indicates otherwise: 17 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the
1 Commonwealth. 2 ["PACE." The Pennsylvania Adoption Cooperative Exchange.] 3 "PAE." The Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange. 4 § 2552. Pennsylvania Adoption [Cooperative] Exchange. 5 There shall be a Pennsylvania Adoption [Cooperative] Exchange 6 in the Office of Children, Youth and Families of the Department 7 of Public Welfare. 8 § 2553. Registration of children. 9 (a) Mandatory registration.--[PACE] PAE shall register and 10 be responsible for the review and referral of children for whom 11 parental rights have been terminated for [90] 45 days and for 12 whom no report of intention to adopt has been filed in the court 13 of common pleas. 14 (b) Optional registration.--[PACE may also] 15 (1) PAE may register children where restoration to the 16 biological family is neither possible nor appropriate, a 17 petition to terminate parental rights has been filed and 18 adoption is planned pending identification of an adoptive 19 parent or parents. [However, information] 20 (2) PAE may register children with a court-approved goal 21 of adoption if the court-approved goal of adoption has not 22 been appealed within 30 days and a petition to terminate 23 parental rights has not been filed. 24 (3) Information about these children shall not be 25 publicized without prior approval by the department, which 26 shall ensure the anonymity of these children until such time 27 as parental rights are terminated. 28 (c) Children excluded from registration.-- 29 (1) A child for whom termination of parental rights is 30 being appealed in a court shall not be registered with [PACE] 20050H0076B0070 - 2 -
1 PAE as available for adoption. [Identifying information of 2 such children shall be forwarded to PACE by the agency, with 3 reference to the specific reason for which the child is not 4 to be placed on the listing service.] 5 (2) A child registered with PAE may be withdrawn at the 6 request of the agency having custody if the withdrawal is 7 based on criteria established by regulation. 8 § 2554. Responsibilities of [PACE] PAE. 9 [PACE] PAE shall be responsible for the following: 10 (1) Registration of adoptive parent applicants who have 11 been approved by agencies. 12 (2) Accumulation and dissemination of statistical 13 information regarding all children registered with [PACE] 14 PAE. 15 (3) Creation and administration of a public information 16 program designed to inform potential adoptive parents of the 17 need for adoptive homes for children registered with [PACE] 18 PAE. 19 (4) Preparation and distribution of a photographic 20 listing service on children registered with [PACE] PAE. 21 (5) Preparation of annual reports concerning functions 22 of [PACE] PAE regarding the children and the prospective 23 parents listed with [PACE] PAE. The reports shall be 24 submitted annually by May 1 to the [Health and Welfare and 25 Judiciary Committees] Governor, the Judiciary Committee and 26 any other appropriate standing committees of the House of 27 Representatives[, to the Public Health and Welfare and 28 Judiciary Committees] and of the Senate [and to the 29 Governor]. The annual report shall also include statistical 30 and fiscal information regarding additional State and local 20050H0076B0070 - 3 -
1 initiatives involving the recruitment of families interested 2 in adopting children with special needs who meet the 3 eligibility criteria of this subchapter and efforts to 4 identify eligible children. 5 (6) Coordination of its functions with other state, 6 regional and national adoption exchanges. 7 § 2555. Responsibilities of [public and private] agencies. 8 (a) Registration of children.--All [public and licensed 9 private child service] agencies shall register all children with 10 [PACE] PAE for whom parental rights have been terminated for 11 [90] 45 days and for whom no report of intention to adopt has 12 been filed in the court of common pleas. [A public or licensed 13 private] An agency may register other children as set forth in 14 section 2553(b) (relating to registration of children). 15 (b) Registration of applicants.--All agencies shall register 16 all approved adoptive parent applicants with their consent who 17 express an interest in adopting children with special needs. 18 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. A7L23RLE/20050H0076B0070 - 4 -