| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 18-A MRSA §9-301, as amended by PL 1997, c. 18, §3 and | | affected by §6, is further amended to read: |
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| | | §9-301. Petition for adoption and change of name; filing fee |
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| | | A husband and wife jointly or an unmarried person, resident or | | nonresident of the State, may petition the Probate Court to adopt | | a person, regardless of age, and to change that person's name. | The fee for filing the petition is $50. |
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| | | (a)__The fee for a national criminal history record check for | | noncriminal justice purposes set by the Federal Bureau of | | Investigation for each prospective adoptive parent who is not the | | biological parent of the child; and |
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| | | (b)__The fee for a state criminal history record check for | | noncriminal justice purposes established pursuant to Title 25, | | section 1541, subsection 6 for each prospective adoptive parent | | who is not the biological parent of the child. |
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| | | Sec. 2. 18-A MRSA §9-304, sub-§(a), as amended by PL 1997, c. 239, §5 | | and affected by §6, is repealed. |
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| | | Sec. 3. 18-A MRSA §9-304, sub-§(a-1) is enacted to read: |
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| | | (a-1)__Upon the filing of a petition for adoption of a minor | | child, the court shall request a background check and shall | | direct the department or a licensed child-placing agency to | | conduct a study and make a report to the court. |
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| | | (1)__The study must include an investigation of the | | conditions and antecedents of the child to determine whether | | the child is a proper subject for adoption and whether the | | proposed home is suitable for the child.__The department or | | licensed child-placing agency shall submit the report to the | | court within 60 days. |
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| | | (i)__If the court has a report that provides | | sufficient, current information, the court may waive | | the requirement of a study and report. |
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| | | (ii)__If the petitioner is a blood relative of the | | child, the court may waive the requirement of a study | | and report. |
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| | | (2)__The court shall request a background check for each | | prospective adoptive parent who is not the biological parent of | | the child.__The background check must include a screening for | | child abuse cases in the records of the department and |
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