GA HB159

Substantially revises Georgia's adoption laws (Title 19, Chapter 8), including updated definitions, revised requirements for adopting children (minimum age 25, or 21 for relatives; must be at least 10 years older than the child), provisions for nonresident parents to allow adoption, procedures for adoption of foreign-born children, and a 4-day revocation period for surrender of parental rights, with detailed standardized forms for surrenders, acknowledgments, and affidavits.

Enacts the "Supporting and Strengthening Families Act," replacing the former "Power of Attorney for the Care of a Minor Child Act," allowing parents to temporarily delegate caregiving authority to approved relatives or nonrelatives (approved by a child-placing agency or nonprofit/faith-based organization) for up to one year, with unlimited duration permitted for grandparents and extended duration for deployed military parents.

Requires nonrelative agents under a power of attorney to undergo criminal background checks and certify they are not on any sexual offender or child abuse registry, with the power of attorney to be filed in the probate court of the child's county of residence within 10 days of execution.

Requires local boards of education to provide adoptive parents the same duration of maternity/paternity leave, leave options, job guarantees, pay, and other benefits as biological parents, excluding stepparent adoptions of a custodial parent's child.

Effective September 1, 2018, with written consents or surrenders executed on or before August 31, 2018, deemed to satisfy the new surrender requirements for adoption proceedings commenced on or after the effective date.