Family Forum / Parenting / Adoption / May 2007

This bill was signed into law last week, with an effective date of
August 1, 2007.

First, a summary, then the bill itself, which refers to "genetic
siblings" only in the title.  Whether it would be read to exclude
adoptive siblings in a situation involving termination of parental
rights is anybody's guess.

J.

S.F. No. 358 - Post-Adoption Services for Genetic Siblings (Minnesota
Laws 2007, Chapter 49)
Author: Senator Mary Olson
Prepared by: Kathleen Pontius, Senate Counsel (651/296-4394)
Date: March 15, 2007

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This bill amends the post-adoption service law to require the
Commissioner of Human Services to advise certain persons of siblings
who were either adopted or committed to the guardianship of the
Commissioner of Human Services and not adopted. It would apply to a
request by a person who is at least 19 years or older and was adopted
or who, because of termination of parental rights, was committed to
guardianship of the Commissioner of Human Services. The assistance
must be provided by the county or placing agency of the person
requesting the information to the extent it is available in existing
records. If the sibling received services from another agency, the
agencies must share necessary information to locate the other siblings
and to offer services, as requested. Upon the determination that
another sibling's parental rights were terminated, identifying
information and contact must be provided only upon mutual consent. A
reasonable fee may be imposed for these services.

Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 259.83, is amended by
adding a
1.6subdivision to read:

1.7    Subd. 1b. Genetic siblings. (a) A person who is at least 19
years old and adopted,
1.8 or who, because of a termination of parental rights, was committed
to the guardianship
1.9 of the commissioner of human services, whether adopted or not,
must upon request be
1.10 advised of other siblings who were adopted or who were committed
to the guardianship
1.11 of the commissioner of human services and not adopted.

1.12(b)  Assistance must be provided by the county or placing agency
of the person
1.13 requesting information to the extent that information is
available in the existing records at
1.14 the Department of Human Services. If the sibling received
services from another agency,
1.15 the agencies must share necessary information in order to locate
the other siblings and to
1.16 offer services, as requested. Upon the determination that another
sibling's parental rights
1.17 were terminated, identifying information and contact must be
provided only upon mutual
1.18 consent. A reasonable fee may be imposed by the county or placing
agency.