By: Smith (Senate Sponsor - Paxton) H.B. No. 461
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2023;
  May 9, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 19, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
 
  COMMITTEE VOTE
 
 
         YeaNayAbsentPNV
         HughesX
         PaxtonX
         BettencourtX
         BirdwellX
         LaMantiaX
         MenéndezX
         MiddletonX
         ParkerX
         PerryX
         SchwertnerX
         ZaffiriniX
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to a waiver of the requirement for the performance of an
  adoption evaluation in certain suits for adoption.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 107.153, Family Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (e) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), the [The] court
  shall order the performance of an adoption evaluation to evaluate
  each party who requests termination of the parent-child
  relationship or an adoption in a suit for:
               (1)  termination of the parent-child relationship in
  which a person other than a parent may be appointed managing
  conservator of a child; or
               (2)  an adoption.
         (a-1)  In a suit for adoption that is uncontested, the court
  may waive the requirement under Subsection (a) for the performance
  of an adoption evaluation of the prospective adoptive parent if:
               (1)  the prospective adoptive parent is a stepparent of
  the child; and 
               (2)  the court has reviewed investigative records of
  the department and any criminal history record information
  maintained by the Department of Public Safety relating to the
  prospective adoptive parent.
         (e)  The costs of conducting an adoption evaluation required
  under Subsection (a) or reviewing investigative records of the
  department and criminal history record information maintained by
  the Department of Public Safety under Subsection (a-1), as
  applicable, [this section] shall be paid by the prospective
  adoptive parent.
         SECTION 2.  Section 162.003, Family Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 162.003.  ADOPTION EVALUATION. In a suit for adoption,
  an adoption evaluation must be conducted as provided in Chapter
  107, unless the court waives the requirement for the performance of
  an adoption evaluation under Section 107.153(a-1).
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a suit for adoption that is pending in trial court on the
  effective date of this Act or filed on or after the effective date
  of this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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