UT HB0051

Beginning January 1, 2027, private child-placing agencies providing adoption services must be nonprofit organizations to obtain or renew a license in Utah.

Birth parents have a 72-hour revocation period after signing consent or relinquishment, which can be waived in writing, and may also revoke consent before final adoption decree if a court finds duress, fraud, or undue influence by the agency.

Living expenses paid on behalf of a birth parent are capped at $8,000, with weekly allowances limited to $200 per week for the birth parent and $75 per week for dependents, distributed weekly for up to 12 weeks during pregnancy and 4 weeks postpartum.

Agencies are prohibited from transporting birth mothers who are 36+ weeks pregnant or under 18 years old to Utah, and must return out-of-state birth mothers to their home state using equivalent transportation regardless of relinquishment decisions.

Creates the Utah Child-Placing Adoption Agency Consortium to advise the Legislature, requiring quarterly meetings and a report to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee by October 1, 2026, covering adoption statistics and agency fees.