Loading chat...
FL S0558
Bill
Status
Failed
6/16/2025
Primary Sponsor
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Click for details
AI Summary
- Adoptive parents, biological parents, and adopted children aged 12 or older may voluntarily enter into written contracts for postadoption contact permitting visitation, communication, and information-sharing with birth parents and siblings until the child turns 18
- Contract provisions are unenforceable if they permit contact with a legally restrained person, impair the adoptive family's ability to relocate, or are objected to by an adopted child aged 12 or older
- Contracts intended to be enforceable must be filed with and approved by the court, incorporated into the final judgment of adoption, and must include 14-point boldface statements that noncompliance does not invalidate the adoption or affect custody
- Adoptive parents or the child may unilaterally seek to modify or terminate the contract, while biological parents may only seek enforcement; the court must apply a best-interests-of-the-child standard by a preponderance of the evidence, and the contract automatically terminates when the child reaches 18
- The clerk of the court shall assess only one filing fee covering the adoption action, declaratory statement, termination of parental rights, and any postadoption contract actions; the act takes effect January 1, 2026
Legislative Description
Contracts for Postadoption Contact
Last Action
Died in Judiciary
6/16/2025
Committee Referrals
Judiciary3/14/2025
Full Bill Text
No bill text available