Senate Bill No. 232–Senators Porter, Rawson, Townsend, Schneider, Washington, Jacobsen, Amodei, Care, James, McGinness, Rhoads and Wiener

February 22, 1999

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Joint Sponsor: Assemblywoman Segerblom

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Referred to Committee on Judiciary

 

SUMMARY—Makes various changes to provisions governing adoptions. (BDR 11-1109)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.

Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

 

AN ACT relating to adoptions; requiring the division of child and family services of the department of human resources and private adoption agencies to disclose information regarding any behavioral, emotional or psychological problems of a child to the prospective adoptive parents; revising the amount of money that the division may charge for certain services it provides related to the placement of a child for adoption; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

1-1 Section 1. NRS 127.152 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2 127.152 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, the division

1-3 or a licensed child-placing agency shall provide the adopting parents of a

1-4 child with a report which includes:

1-5 (a) A copy of any medical records of the child which are in the

1-6 possession of the division or licensed child-placing agency; and

1-7 (b) Any information [regarding the medical and sociological history of

1-8 the child] obtained by the division or licensed child-placing agency during

1-9 interviews of the natural parent [.] regarding:

1-10 (1) The medical and sociological history of the child and the

1-11 natural parents of the child; and

2-1 (2) Any behavioral, emotional or psychological problems that the

2-2 child may have. Information regarding any behavioral, emotional or

2-3 psychological problems that the child may have must be discussed in

2-4 accordance with policies adopted by the division for the disclosure of

2-5 such information.

2-6 2. The report created pursuant to subsection 1 must exclude any

2-7 information that would lead to the identification of the natural parent.

2-8 Sec. 2. NRS 127.275 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-9 127.275 1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the division

2-10 shall, in accordance with NRS 232.464 , charge [,] reasonable fees for the

2-11 services it provides in placing, arranging the placement of or assisting in

2-12 placing or arranging the placement of any child for adoption, and for

2-13 conducting any investigation required by NRS 127.2805.

2-14 2. The fees charged for those services must vary based on criteria

2-15 developed by the division, but must not exceed [$2,500.] the usual and

2-16 customary fees that licensed child-placing agencies in the area where the

2-17 services are provided would charge for those services. The division shall

2-18 not discriminate between adoptions made through an agency and specific

2-19 adoptions in setting its fees.

2-20 3. A fee must not be charged for services related to the adoption of a

2-21 child with special needs.

2-22 4. The division may waive or reduce any fee charged pursuant to this

2-23 section if it determines that the adoptive parents are not able to pay the fee

2-24 or the needs of the child require a waiver or reduction of the fee.

2-25 5. Any money collected pursuant to this section must be accounted for

2-26 in the appropriate account of the division and may be used only to pay for

2-27 the costs of any adoptive or post-adoptive services provided by the

2-28 division.

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