An Eastern Wisconsin legislator’s bill aimed at fixing the adoption process has taken a step towards becoming law.
Senator Andre Jacque’s Adoption Process Reform Act, formally known as Senate Bill 79, recently passed the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families on a vote of 3-2.
The bill would allow for the voluntary termination of parental rights for a child under one year old through a witnessed and notarized affidavit, rather than requiring the parent to appear in court.
The bill also allows for payments to licensed out-of-state child placing agencies for adoption-related services, expanding the options for families working across state lines while still maintaining appropriate government oversight.
Sen. Jacque said of the bill, “These changes will create a system that is easier to navigate both for birthparents by removing the fear and uncertainty surrounding mandatory court proceedings, and for the uncertainty experienced by adoptive parents.”
