HB 1675 was introduced and passed by the House in 2013. The bill died in the Senate and was referred back to the House. If the bill is brought to the floor for a vote, it will be amended.
Floor amendment: As amended on the House floor, HB 1675 does the following:
Directs DSHS to establish procedures and requirements for identifying, tracking, and reporting adoption disruption and dissolution, and the factors leading thereto, including requiring regular reports from child-placing agencies relating to children placed for adoption
Requires that preplacement reports must include a background check of any prior preplacement reports, whether these reports were completed or not. Preplacement reports that are not completed are required to be filed in the same manner as completed preplacement reports. In addition to areas of inquiry already required, such as home environment, family life, health, facilities, and resources, the preplacement report must also include the planned approach to child discipline and punishment. Similarly, the postplacement report must contain all reasonably available information regarding the planned approach to child discipline and punishment, in addition to current information requisites such as physical and mental condition of the child, home environment, family life, health, facilities, and resources, and any other facts and circumstances relating to the propriety and advisability of the adoption. The fitness of a parent is not to be based on the person’s sincerely held religious or philosophical beliefs and practices regarding child discipline and punishment that do not otherwise constitute a violation of state law.
Finally, the OFCO must include in its annual report to the Legislature and the Governor information regarding the progress made by the DSHS in implementing recommendations made in the Report on Severe Abuse of Adopted Children.
