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PRINTER'S NO. 2301
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1531
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY D. MILLER, MURT, WATSON, KINSEY, D. PARKER,
MILLARD, COHEN, ZIMMERMAN AND PETRI, OCTOBER 5, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, OCTOBER 5, 2015
AN ACT
Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in adoption, further providing for
alternative procedure for relinquishment.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 2504 of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
ยง 2504. Alternative procedure for relinquishment.
(a) Petition to confirm consent to adoption.--If the parent
or parents of the child have executed consents to an adoption,
upon petition by the intermediary or, where there is no
intermediary, by the adoptive parent, the court shall [hold a
hearing for the purpose of confirming a] confirm the consent to
an adoption upon expiration of the time periods under section
2711 (relating to consents necessary to adoption)[.] and, in the
case of relinquishment of parental rights to an adult, the court
may enter a decree of termination of parental rights or, in the
case of relinquishment of parental rights to an agency, a decree
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of termination of parental rights and duties, including the
obligation of support. The original consent or consents to the
adoption shall be attached to the petition.
[(b) Hearing.--Upon presentation of a petition filed
pursuant to this section, the court shall fix a time for a
hearing which shall not be less than ten days after filing of
the petition. Notice of the hearing shall be by personal service
or by registered mail or by such other means as the court may
require upon the consenter and shall be in the form provided in
section 2513(b) (relating to hearing). Notice of the hearing
shall be given to the other parent or parents, to the putative
father whose parental rights could be terminated pursuant to
subsection (c) and to the parents or guardian of a consenting
parent who has not reached 18 years of age. The notice shall
state that the consenting parent's or putative father's rights
may be terminated as a result of the hearing. After hearing,
which shall be private, the court may enter a decree of
termination of parental rights in the case of a relinquishment
to an adult or a decree of termination of parental rights and
duties, including the obligation of support, in the case of a
relinquishment to an agency.]
(c) Putative father.--If a putative father will not execute
a consent to an adoption as required by section 2711, has been
given notice of the hearing being held pursuant to [this
section] section 2513 (relating to hearing) and fails to either
appear at that hearing for the purpose of objecting to
termination of his parental rights or file a written objection
to such termination with the court prior to the hearing and has
not filed an acknowledgment of paternity or claim of paternity
pursuant to section 5103 (relating to acknowledgment and claim
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of paternity), the court may enter a decree terminating the
parental rights of the putative father [pursuant to subsection
(b)].
(d) Right to file personal and medical history
information.--At the time the decree of termination is
transmitted to the parent, the court shall also advise, in
writing, the parent whose rights have been terminated of his or
her continuing right to place and update personal and medical
history information, whether or not the medical condition is in
existence or discoverable at the time of adoption, on file with
the court and with the Department of [Public Welfare] Human
Services pursuant to Subchapter B of Chapter 29 (relating to
records and access to information).
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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