REPORT TITLE:
Prospective Adoptive Parents


DESCRIPTION:
Enables Department of Human Services to require criminal history
checks for prospective adoptive parents; authorizes DHS to
contract for home studies by social workers with specialized
adoption experience; defines "prospective adoptive parents".
(SD2)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2506
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE PARENTS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
 2 by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to
 
 3 read as follows:
 
 4      "§346-    Prospective adoptive parents.  (a)  The department
 
 5 shall develop standards to assure the reputable and responsible
 
 6 character of prospective adoptive parents as defined in this
 
 7 chapter which shall include criminal history record checks.
 
 8      (1)  Prospective adoptive parents shall submit statements,
 
 9           signed under penalty of false swearing in official
 
10           matters, indicating whether the prospective adoptive
 
11           parents were ever convicted of a crime other than a
 
12           minor traffic violation involving a fine of $50 or less
 
13           and providing consent to the department to conduct a
 
14           criminal history record check and to obtain other
 
15           criminal history record information for verification.
 
16           The prospective adoptive parents shall be fingerprinted
 
17           for the purpose of complying with the criminal history
 
18           record check.
 
19      (2)  The department shall obtain criminal history record
 

 
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 1           information through the Hawaii criminal justice data
 
 2           center on all prospective adoptive parents.  The
 
 3           information obtained shall be used exclusively for the
 
 4           stated purpose for which it was obtained, and shall be
 
 5           subject to applicable federal laws and federal
 
 6           regulations.
 
 7      (3)  The department may deny a prospective adoptive parents'
 
 8           application to adopt a child or children if either of
 
 9           the prospective adoptive parents was convicted of a
 
10           crime other than a minor traffic violation involving a
 
11           fine of $50 or less and if the department finds that
 
12           the criminal history record of either of the
 
13           prospective adoptive parents poses a risk to the
 
14           health, safety, or well-being of the child or children
 
15           to be adopted.
 
16      (b)  The department may authorize or contract for
 
17 prospective adoptive parents' home studies for children under the
 
18 department's custody by experienced social workers with
 
19 specialized adoption experience."
 
20      SECTION 2.  Section 346-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
21 amended by adding to subsection (a) a new definition to be
 
22 appropriately inserted and to read as follows:
 
23      ""Prospective adoptive parents" means a person or persons
 

 
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                                                        S.D. 2
                                                        

 
 1 who are married to each other, applying with the department to
 
 2 adopt a child or children."
 
 3      SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
 4      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.