ELIM. ADOPTIVE PARENT REGISTRY FEE H.B. 4457:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4457 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Jim Runestad
House Committee: Families, Children, and Seniors
Senate Committee: Families, Seniors and Human Services
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Foster Care and Adoption Services Act to delete a requirement that prospective adoptive parents pay fees to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for the Department to maintain information about them in a registry that is accessible to biological parents and child placing agencies.
The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.
The Act requires the DHHS to maintain a registry of adoptive homes to be used as a central clearinghouse for information about prospective adoptive parents. The Department must accept information from a prospective adoptive parent who has received a preplacement assessment with a finding that he or she is suitable to be the parent of an adoptee. The information must be filed in a form and manner that makes it readily accessible to biological parents or child placing agencies seeking adoptive homes for children. The DHHS must give information in the registry, without charge, to biological parents or child placing agencies that request it.
The Act requires the DHHS to charge a prospective adoptive parent an initial fee of $100 for maintaining the information in the registry, and a renewal fee of $50 for each year the prospective adoptive parent remains in the registry. The bill would delete those fee requirements.
MCL 722.958 Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government. The Department has not collected the fees for several years.
Fiscal Analyst: Frances Carley
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.