Bill would limit who can offer paid adoption matching and ads

Only adoption agencies, the Department of Human Services, and Pennsylvania-licensed lawyers would be allowed to provide covered paid matching services or adoption advertising. Paid matching covers compensated efforts to find or connect placing parents and prospective adoptive parents. Covered ads seek either group or offer placing parents something of value tied to a birth or adoption. Matching violations would carry fines of $15,000, $20,000, and $30,000 for the first, second, and later offenses. Advertising violations would carry fines of $10,000, $15,000, and $20,000. The department must waive a first-offense fine unless it finds that the person deliberately ignored the rules. Prospective parents with a valid, unrevoked, and unexpired home study would not face penalties for advertising their availability to adopt. Collected fines would go into a state fund. Money in the fund would be set aside on a continuing basis for the department to administer and enforce these rules. If the proposal becomes law, this provision would take effect 60 days later and apply to proceedings and actions begun on or after that date.

A placing parent would need a Pennsylvania-licensed lawyer unless the parent validly waives representation. This applies when a parent who still has parental rights voluntarily places a child for adoption. The parent must receive full information before waiving representation, and the waiver must be in writing. No one may require or pressure the parent to waive a lawyer as a condition of continuing the adoption. The parent's lawyer may not represent or share a law firm with prospective adoptive parents, their agents, or anyone else involved in relinquishing the child. If the proposal becomes law, this provision would take effect 60 days later and apply to proceedings begun on or after that date.

A home study may include at least six hours of adoption-related training. This applies to home studies conducted before an adoption petition. The training may cover adoption across racial lines, attachment, and parenting that accounts for trauma. An agency that provides adoption services may provide the training. If the proposal becomes law, this provision would take effect 60 days later and apply to proceedings begun on or after that date.