CaliforniaIntercountry adoption finalized in a foreign country.
What it does
In order to establish a record by which an adoptee can prove the facts of a foreign adoption, existing law requires a state resident who has finalized an intercountry adoption in a foreign country to file a petition to readopt within the earlier of 60 days of the adoptee's entry into the United States or the adoptee's 16th birthday. If the adoptive parent fails to file the petition within the prescribed timeframe or to provide a copy of the petition to each adoption agency that provided adoption services to the adoptive parent, existing law requires the adoption agency that facilitated the adoption to file the petition within 90 days of the child's entry into the United States and to provide a file-marked copy of the petition to the adoptive parent and any other adoption agency that provided services to the adoptive parent, as specified. Existing law requires the petition to include, among other things, a report from at least one postplacement home visit by an intercountry adoption agency or a contractor of that agency licensed to provide intercountry adoption services in the state.
More detail
Existing law requires the clerk of the court to submit an order granting the petition to the State Registrar, as specified, and requires the State Registrar to issue a delayed registration of birth upon receipt of the order.
This bill would authorize an adoptee of any age to file a petition on their own behalf if both the adoptive parent or parents and the adoption agency that facilitated the adoption failed to file a petition to readopt pursuant to the above-described provisions. The bill would, notwithstanding the documentation requirements described above, authorize a court to grant a petition for readoption that does not include those documents if (1) the petitioner establishes, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they are the adoptee, (2) the petitioner proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that one or more of the required documents cannot be obtained due to the passage of time or other circumstances beyond the petitioner's control, and (3) the petitioner is able to establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, the fundamental facts necessary for the court to make the findings required to grant the petition. The bill would authorize evidence presented to the court for these purposes to include both documentary and nondocumentary evidence, including, among other things, testimony, declarations, court records, agency records, correspondence, and other corroborating sources of information the court deems sufficient.
Existing law requires the court to notify all appropriate authorities if it finds that the child may be a subject of human trafficking or may be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court as a dependent child, as specified.
This bill would also expand the notice requirements described above to include any adoptee who may be, or may have been, a subject of human trafficking.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Aug 24Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 127, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Aug 24Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Aug 11Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 3Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 5250.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB927 Choi et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 2In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 927 Choi Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- Jul 2Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 70. Noes 0. Page 5985.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Jun 25Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.Minor
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 24).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 9From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 3From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 1Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- May 22In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded Special Consent SB927 Choi et al. Result: pass.Upper
- May 22Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4417.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 20Ordered to special consent calendar.
- May 14Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4257.) (May 14).Minor
- May 12Set for hearing May 14.
- May 11May 11 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- May 4Set for hearing May 11.
- Apr 23Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 3976.) (April 21).Major
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 14Set for hearing April 21.
- Apr 8Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Mar 23From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Major
- Feb 11Referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Jan 30From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 1.
- Jan 29Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced