ATLANTA – State Representative Andrew Welch (R-Locust Grove) praises the hard work of State Representative Bert Reeves (R-Marietta) on House Bill 159, which will substantially update Georgia’s adoption laws for the first time in almost three decades and streamline and expedite all types of adoptions in Georgia. House Bill 159 was signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal on Monday, March 5, 2018.
“I am proud to support such a groundbreaking measure that help Georgia’s foster care children to be quickly placed with loving forever families,” said Rep. Welch. “Rep. Reeves has spent the past two-and-a-half years perfecting this legislation, and I commend him for his dedication to Georgia’s adoptive families and children. I’m thrilled to announce to my constituents that House Bill 159 has been signed into law, and I am grateful for the members of the House and Gov. Deal for their support of this critical measure.”
HB 159 is a total update and modernization to Georgia’s adoption laws. The new adoption laws will allow increased efficiencies in all aspects of Georgia adoption, including the first ever incorporation of a process to domesticate international adoption decrees. The bill will expand jurisdictional options for both in-state and out-of-state adoptions and will eliminate the six-month residency requirement in Georgia. Additionally, Georgia law will now have a shorter revocation period, from 10 days to four days, and the adoption bill will allow birth mothers to receive reasonable living expenses in both private and agency adoptions. Under current law, only birth mothers in agency adoptions are allowed reasonable living expenses. Lastly, the bill includes several safeguards on temporary powers of attorney, provides for nonresidents to adopt a child, updates maternity and paternity leave time for new adoptive parents and changes the age at which an individual may access the Adoption Reunion Registry.
For more information on HB 159, please click here.
Representative Andrew Welch represents the citizens of District 110, which includes portions of Butts, Henry and Newton Counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety. He also serves on the Code Revision, Juvenile Justice, Judiciary and Regulated Industries committees.
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