Loading chat...
IN SB0296
Bill
Status
1/7/2019
Primary Sponsor
Lonnie Randolph
Click for details
AI Summary
-
Department of Child Services must enter into adoption subsidy agreements with all adoptive parents of special needs children who are eligible, changing from discretionary ("may") to mandatory ("shall") language.
-
Department must allocate sufficient funds to the adoption assistance account to fulfill all required subsidy payments.
-
Department is prohibited from terminating adoption subsidy agreements due to insufficient funds in the adoption assistance account.
-
Repeals existing provision that allowed the department to limit new subsidy agreements to only children who were department wards, or to prioritize funding for department wards, when funds were insufficient.
-
Effective date: July 1, 2019.
Legislative Description
Adoption subsidy payment requirement. Requires the department of child services (department) to: (1) enter into an agreement with each adoptive parent of a child with special needs who is eligible for an adoption subsidy to provide an adoption subsidy for the child; and (2) allocate funds to the adoption assistance account necessary to make the adoption subsidy payments. Prohibits the department from terminating an adoption subsidy agreement with adoptive parents due to insufficient funds in the adoption assistance account. Makes conforming changes. Repeals a provision that allows the department to: (1) approve new adoption subsidy agreements only for children who are wards of the department at the time the adoption petition is filed; and (2) give priority to funding new adoption subsidy agreements for children who are or were wards of the department; if the department determines that sufficient funds are not available.
Last Action
First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary
1/7/2019