AB214: Bill Text

AB214,5,25 2. Future contact and communication between the child, adoptive parent, or agency and birth relative of the child.

AB214,6,2 3. The sharing of information about the child in the future between the adoptive parent or agency and a birth relative of the child.

AB214,6,4 4. The maintenance and sharing of the medical and genetic history of any birth relative who is a party to the agreement.

AB214,6,10 (2) Posttermination contact agreements; when permitted. At any time before a termination of parental rights order is granted, a posttermination contact agreement may be entered into between the proposed adoptive parents of a child or, if at the time the agreement is entered into no proposed adoptive parent has been identified, the agency having guardianship, legal custody, or supervision of the child and a birth relative of the child if all of the following conditions are met:

AB214,6,12 (a) The child is in the legal custody or under the supervision or guardianship of an agency.

AB214,6,18 (b) The birth parent who is a party to the agreement has agreed to voluntarily consent to the termination of his or her parental rights under s. 48.41 or not to contest an involuntary termination of parental rights under s. 48.415, except that the condition under this paragraph is not met if the agreement to voluntarily consent to or not to contest the termination of parental rights is made after grounds for termination of parental rights are found under s. 48.424.

AB214,6,19 (c) The child, if 12 years of age or over, consents to the terms of the agreement.

AB214,6,21 (3) Provisions of posttermination contact agreement. A posttermination contact agreement shall contain all of the following provisions:

AB214,6,25 (a) An acknowledgement by all birth relatives who are parties to the agreement that the termination of parental rights to and adoption of the child are irrevocable and that failure by a party to comply with the agreement is not grounds to revoke the termination of parental rights or adoption.

AB214,7,5 (b) An acknowledgement by the proposed adoptive parents or, if at the time the agreement is entered into no proposed adoptive parent has been identified, the agency having guardianship, legal custody, or supervision of the child that the agreement is enforceable by any person who is permitted posttermination visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information under the agreement.

AB214,7,10 (c) A statement by all parties to the agreement that the agreement was entered into voluntarily and with understanding of the terms of the agreement, that no promises or threats were made to coerce any person into entering into the agreement, and that the parties have not relied on any representations other than those contained in the agreement.

AB214,7,13 (4) Approval of granting posttermination contact agreement. At the time a termination of parental rights order is granted, a court may approve a posttermination contact agreement if all of the following conditions are met:

AB214,7,15 (a) The child and the birth parent meet the conditions specified in sub. (2) (a) to (c).

AB214,7,16 (b) The agreement contains the provisions specified in sub. (3) (a) to (c).

AB214,7,22 (c) The agreement is signed by all parties to the agreement including the birth parent and child, if 12 years of age or over. If a birth parent who is under 12 years of age or other birth relative who is a child is to be granted posttermination visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information under the agreement, the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the birth relative shall sign the agreement on behalf of the birth relative.

AB214,8,2 (d) The agency having guardianship, legal custody, or supervision of the child or the child's guardian ad litem files the agreement with the court. If the agency files the agreement, the agency shall comply with this paragraph by including in the court report under s. 48.425 (1) the statement under s. 48.425 (1) (h) and attaching the agreement to the court report.

AB214,8,7 (e) The court addresses all parties to the agreement and determines by clear and convincing evidence that the agreement was entered into voluntarily and with understanding of the terms of the agreement, that no promises or threats were made to coerce any person into entering into the agreement, and that the parties have not relied on any representations other than those contained in the agreement.

AB214,8,11 (f) The agency having guardianship, legal custody, or supervision of the child and the child's guardian ad litem submit to the court recommendations concerning the granting of posttermination visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information as provided for in the agreement.

AB214,8,17 (g) The court determines by clear and convincing evidence that granting posttermination visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information as provided for in the agreement would be in the best interests of the child. In determining whether granting posttermination visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information as provided for in the agreement would be in the best interests of the child, the court shall consider all of the following factors:

AB214,8,21 1. Whether the child has substantial relationships with the person who would have visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information under the agreement, and whether it would be harmful to the child not to preserve those relationships.

AB214,8,24 2. Any special needs of the child and how those special needs would be affected by visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information as provided for in the agreement.

AB214,9,2 3. The specific terms of the agreement and the likelihood that the parties will cooperate in complying with the agreement.

AB214,9,4 4. The recommendations of the agency having guardianship, legal custody, or supervision of the child and the child's guardian ad litem.

AB214,9,5 5. Any other factors that are relevant to the best interests of the child.

AB214,9,10 (5) Later-identified proposed adoptive parents. If the child who is the subject of a posttermination contact agreement is placed for adoption in the home of a proposed adoptive parent who was not identified at the time the agreement was entered into, that posttermination contact agreement shall be binding on the proposed adoptive parent unless terminated or modified under sub. (7).

AB214,9,21 (6) Enforcement of posttermination contact agreement. (a) A posttermination contact agreement is enforceable only if the agreement is approved by the court under sub. (4). Any party to an approved posttermination contact agreement may petition the court that approved the agreement for specific performance of the agreement. The petition shall allege facts sufficient to show that a person who is bound by the agreement is not in compliance with the agreement, that enforcement of the agreement is in the best interests of the child in light of the factors specified in sub. (4) (g), and that the petitioner, before filing the petition, participated, or attempted to participate, in good faith in mediation or other appropriate dispute resolution proceedings to resolve the dispute giving rise to the filing of the petition.

AB214,9,25 (b) The court shall set a date and time for a hearing on a petition filed under par. (a) and shall provide notice of the hearing to the petitioner and to all other parties to the approved posttermination contact agreement and the agency that had guardianship, legal custody, or supervision of the child before the termination of parental rights. The hearing shall take place on a date that allows the persons notified of the hearing a reasonable time to prepare, but is no more than 30 days after the filing of the petition.

AB214,10,12 (c) If the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that any person bound by an approved posttermination contact agreement is not in compliance with the agreement, that enforcement of the agreement is in the best interests of the child in light of the factors specified in sub. (4) (g), and that the petitioner, before filing the petition, participated, or attempted to participate, in good faith in mediation or other appropriate dispute resolution proceedings to resolve the dispute giving rise to the filing of the petition, the court shall issue an order requiring specific performance of the agreement. An order for specific performance shall be the sole remedy for any noncompliance with the agreement.

AB214,10,15 (d) A court may not award damages, costs, or attorney fees or revoke a termination of parental rights order or an order of adoption because a party to a posttermination contact agreement fails to comply with the agreement.

AB214,10,25 (7) Termination or modification of posttermination contact agreement. (a) The parties to an approved posttermination contact agreement may agree to terminate or modify the agreement. If the parties agree to terminate or modify the agreement and if the child, if 12 years of age or over, consents to the termination or modification, the parties shall sign and file with the court that approved the agreement the modified agreement or a stipulation terminating the agreement. If, after reviewing the stipulation or modified agreement, the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that termination or modification of the agreement would be in the best interests of the child in light of the factors specified in sub. (4) (g), the court shall approve the termination or modification of the agreement.

AB214,11,9 (b) 1. Any party to an approved posttermination contract agreement may petition the court that approved the agreement to terminate or modify the agreement. The petition shall allege facts sufficient to show that termination or modification of the agreement would be in the best interests of the child in light of the factors specified in sub. (4) (g), or that there has been a substantial change in circumstances since the entry of the last order affecting the agreement, and that the petitioner, before filing the petition, participated, or attempted to participate, in good faith in mediation or other appropriate dispute resolution proceedings to resolve the issue giving rise to the filing of the petition.

AB214,11,16 2. The court shall set a date and time for a hearing on a petition under subd. 1. and shall provide notice of the hearing to the petitioner and to all other parties to the approved posttermination contact agreement and the agency that had guardianship, legal custody, or supervision of the child before the termination of parental rights. The hearing shall take place on a date that allows the persons notified of the hearing a reasonable time to prepare, but is no more than 30 days after the filing of the petition.

AB214,12,6 3. Notwithstanding s. 48.01 (1) (intro.), the court may terminate or modify the approved posttermination contact agreement if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that termination or modification of the agreement would be in the best interests of the child in light of the factors specified in sub. (4) (g), or that there has been a substantial change in circumstances since the entry of the last order affecting the agreement, and that the petitioner, before filing the petition, participated, or attempted to participate, in good faith in mediation or other appropriate dispute resolution proceedings to resolve the issue giving rise to the filing of the petition. An order to modify an approved posttermination contact agreement may limit, restrict, condition, or decrease visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information between the child and a birth relative of the child, but may not expand, enlarge, or increase that visitation, contact, communication, or sharing of information or place any new obligation on the adoptive parent or agency having guardianship, legal custody, or supervision of the child.

AB214, s. 6 Section 6. 48.43 (2) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB214,12,9 48.43 (2) (d) A court may approve a posttermination contact agreement under s. 48.429.

AB214, s. 7 Section 7. 48.92 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB214,12,22 48.92 (2) After the order of adoption is entered the relationship of parent and child between the adopted person and the adopted person's birth parents and the relationship between the adopted person and all persons whose relationship to the adopted person is derived through those birth parents shall be completely altered and all the rights, duties, and other legal consequences of those relationships shall cease to exist, unless the birth parent is the spouse of the adoptive parent, in which case those relationships shall be completely altered and those rights, duties, and other legal consequences shall cease to exist only with respect to the birth parent who is not the spouse of the adoptive parent and all persons whose relationship to the adopted person is derived through that birth parent. Notwithstanding the extinction of all parental rights under this subsection, a court may approve a posttermination contact agreement under s. 48.429 or order reasonable visitation under s. 48.925.

AB214, s. 8 Section 8. 48.93 (1d) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB214,13,2 48.93 (1d) All records and papers pertaining to an adoption proceeding shall be kept in a separate locked file and may not be disclosed except under sub. (1g) or, (1r), or (2) (b), s. 48.432, 48.433, 48.434, 48.48 (17) (a) 9., or 48.57 (1) (j), or by order of the court for good cause shown.

AB214, s. 9 Section 9. 48.93 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 48.93 (2) (b) and amended to read:

AB214,13,8 48.93 (2) (b) All correspondence and papers, relating to the investigation, which that are not a part of the court record, except those in the custody of agencies authorized to place children for adoption, shall be transferred to the department and placed in its closed files.

AB214, s. 10 Section 10. 48.93 (2) (a) of the statutes is created to read:

AB214,13,16 48.93 (2) (a) A proposed adoptive parent whose home is the subject of an investigation under s. 48.837 (1r) (c) or (4) (c) or 48.88 (2) (a) may request the agency conducting the investigation to disclose its report of the investigation to any other agency authorized to place children for adoption, to the state adoption information exchange under s. 48.55, or to the state adoption center under s. 48.55. Within 10 days after receipt of the request, the agency shall disclose the report to the person named in the request.

AB214, s. 11 Section 11. Initial applicability.

AB214,13,21 (1) Posttermination contact agreements. The treatment of sections 48.425 (1) (h), 48.426 (3) (c), 48.428 (6) (a) and (b), 48.429, 48.43 (2) (d), and 48.92 (2) of the statutes first applies to a termination of parental rights petition filed on the effective date of this subsection.

AB214,13,22 (End)