# Alabama SB94: Adoption, Minor Adoption Code and Adult Adoption Code revised, procedures related to investigations, service of notice, and revocation of consent further provided for, duties of Department of Human Resources further provided for Alabama SB94, Adoption, Minor Adoption Code and Adult Adoption Code revised, procedures related to investigations, service of notice, and revocation of consent further provided for, duties of Department of Human Resources further provided for, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Arthur Orr (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-05-14 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB94-2025rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB94 - State: Alabama - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Adoption, Minor Adoption Code and Adult Adoption Code revised, procedures related to investigations, service of notice, and revocation of consent further provided for, duties of Department of Human Resources further provided for - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-05 - Last action: 2025-05-14, Enacted - Sponsor: Arthur Orr (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Family Law - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (398 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 20 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More relationship routes for adult adoption: benefit, medium. Adults who consent in writing can qualify for adoption by relatives, stepparents, or former stepparents. A U.S. citizen can also qualify through a multi-year parent-like relationship when the court finds a legitimate purpose. For the de facto parent route, each petitioner must have provided primary… - Families can request qualified adoption investigators: benefit, low. Prospective adopters can directly ask an authorized investigator to start a pre-placement investigation. Options include human resources, licensed child-placing agencies, and Alabama social workers licensed and certified for private independent social casework. Investigators authorized in the petit… - Foster and adoption vaccination exemption applications: benefit, low. Alabama's human resources department must create a vaccination-exemption application process for people seeking to foster or adopt. Applicants can request an exemption for themselves or another household member. Requests can cite religious or other appropriate reasons; applying does not itself guar… - Older adoptees can keep their names: benefit, low. Final adoption judgments generally include the adoptee's new name. An adoptee age 14 or older who does not want a name change can keep their name. A relative adoptee who already shares the relative's last name also qualifies for an exception. - Possible fathers face firm adoption deadlines: cost, medium. Beginning January 1, 2026, Alabama law ties a possible biological father's adoption consent rights to filing deadlines. He must file a notice of intent to claim paternity before birth or within 30 days afterward. A separate deadline applies if he receives formal notice before birth that the legal m… - Adopting families face updated household screening: mixed, medium. Most minor adoptions require an investigation; separate rules govern permanent state custody, stepparent, and relative cases. Screening includes suitability letters for adult household members and abuse, neglect, and national sex-offender checks for household members age 14 or older. Abuse and negl… - Adoption disputes can trigger expense repayment: mixed, medium. When a contested adoption is denied, petitioners can seek reasonable medical and living costs for care while the adoptee lived with them. The court must order repayment unless the contestant shows just cause otherwise. When the contest itself is denied, the contestant must repay petitioners' contes… - Adoption notices carry strict response deadlines: mixed, medium. Anyone properly served with an adoption notice must respond in writing within 30 days, stating support or intent to contest. If consent is required, silence can count as implied consent and loss of appearance and further-notice rights. If consent is not required, silence can waive only appearance a… - Adoptions can proceed without some consents: mixed, medium. Beginning January 1, 2026, Alabama law allows adoption without consent after parental rights end, death, or an unwithdrawn relinquishment. Exceptions also cover findings of incapacity when delay harms the child, and fathers who deny or fail to prove paternity. Others cover an unknown father identif… - Grandparents gain visitation routes with limits: mixed, medium. Grandparents can seek visitation by joining an Alabama court case already addressing their grandchild's custody. This supplements filing a separate case and does not guarantee visits. A qualifying basis remains required, such as divorce, separation, or the listed unmarried-parent or parental-rights… - Parents can face presumed adoption consent: mixed, medium. Beginning January 1, 2026, Alabama law allows adoption consent to be presumed based on clear and convincing evidence of listed conduct. This includes abandonment during the four months immediately before the petition or leaving a child without identification for 30 days. It also includes voluntaril… - Parents face adoption consent withdrawal deadlines: mixed, medium. A parent can withdraw express consent or relinquishment within five business days after birth or signing, whichever is later. The withdrawal must be signed, dated, witnessed by two witnesses or a notary, and filed or postmarked within that window. Before final judgment, courts can also allow withdr… - State custody adoptions require current reports: mixed, medium. Courts cannot finalize adoptions from permanent state human resources custody until the required investigation report is completed and filed. The report covers screening, references, health, finances, home safety, and the child's history and assets. Its information must be gathered within 12 months… - Temporary grandparent visits require strong ties: mixed, medium. Courts can order temporary grandparent visits only after a hearing that gives special weight to a fit parent's decisions. The court must find a significant, viable relationship and that visits serve the child's best interest. Within the previous three years, the grandparent must have shared a home,… - Adoption home reports get firm deadlines: mixed, low. Required pre-placement reports must accompany the petition and use information gathered within the previous 12 months. Petitioners receive the completed report, although their copy can omit reference letters. If the child already lived in the home before filing, the later report must include the re… - Adoption records stay sealed with exceptions: mixed, low. After final judgment, adoption papers remain sealed as permanent court records, subject to legal exceptions and court access for good cause. Adoptive parents, the case attorney, and adoptees who reach adulthood can request a hearing for copies of final or temporary orders. These rules protect priva… - Adoption reviews include birth parents' histories: mixed, low. Outside stepparent and relative adoptions, an authorized investigator must investigate each legal or claimed father or mother. An investigator who already investigated the pending adoption does not repeat that work under this requirement. The report includes medical and social histories and is due… - New notice steps for unidentified fathers: mixed, low. When a biological father is unknown, the mother must file a sworn statement saying she cannot or refuses to identify him. This does not apply when she is missing or deceased, her rights ended, or the adoption involves a stepparent or relative. Petitioners must notify an unknown father when no legal… - Stepparent adoption homes face limited checks: mixed, low. Stepparent adoptions require a limited investigation and home safety inspection, excluding the child's legal parent from the listed background checks. Other adults need suitability letters; other household members age 14 or older need abuse, neglect, and sex-offender checks. Abuse and neglect check… - Child transfers require authorization and oversight: mixed, low. Health facilities can release an adoptee only to human resources, a licensed child-placing agency, a parent, a relative, or a legal custodian. Another recipient needs written authorization signed after birth by a parent, agency, or legal custodian. Within 48 hours, facilities must report recipients… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Arthur Orr (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-01 | Senate | Gudger Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 902 | pass | 29 | 0 | | | 2025-04-29 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1129 | pass | 102 | 0 | | | 2025-04-29 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1128 | pass | 103 | 0 | | | 2025-04-29 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-02-12 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 53 | pass | 32 | 0 | | | 2025-02-12 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 32 | 0 | | ## Actions (20) - 2025-05-14: Enacted (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Signature Requested (House) - 2025-05-01: Gudger Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 902 (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-04-29: Third Reading in Second House (House) - 2025-04-29: Shaver 1st Amendment Offered (House) - 2025-04-29: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1128 (House) - 2025-04-29: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1129 (House) - 2025-02-27: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2025-02-26: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2025-02-12: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 53 (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary (House) - 2025-02-12: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2025-02-06: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Children and Youth Health (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB94-int.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB94-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE Act credits and increase funding, and to extend the sunset date for deductions… (enacted) - SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for (enacted) - SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women (enacted) - HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cannabinoid products by Alcoholic Beverage Control Board imposed (enacted) - HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for (enacted) - HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB94-int.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB94-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB52-2025rs) - [SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB331-2025rs) - [SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB102-2025rs) - [HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cann…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB445-2025rs) - [HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB357-2025rs) - [HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB349-2025rs) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB94-2025rs (as of 2026-10-16).