Title FA, Family Code

Sec. 162.020. WITHDRAWAL OR DENIAL OF PETITION. If a petition requesting adoption is withdrawn or denied, the court may order the removal of the child from the proposed adoptive home if removal is in the child's best interest and may enter any order necessary for the welfare of t…

Sec. 162.021. SEALING FILE. (a) The court, on the motion of a party or on the court's own motion, may order the sealing of the file and the minutes of the court, or both, in a suit requesting an adoption. (b) Rendition of the order does not relieve the clerk from the duty to send…

Sec. 162.022. CONFIDENTIALITY MAINTAINED BY CLERK. The records concerning a child maintained by the district clerk after entry of an order of adoption are confidential. No person is entitled to access to the records or may obtain information from the records except for good cause…

Sec. 162.023. ADOPTION ORDER FROM FOREIGN COUNTRY. (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, an adoption order rendered to a resident of this state that is made by a foreign country shall be accorded full faith and credit by the courts of this state and enforced as if the order we…

Sec. 162.025. PLACEMENT BY UNAUTHORIZED PERSON; OFFENSE. (a) A person who is not the natural or adoptive parent of the child, the legal guardian of the child, or a child-placing agency licensed under Chapter 42, Human Resources Code, commits an offense if the person: (1) serves a…

Sec. 162.026. REGULATED CUSTODY TRANSFER OF ADOPTED CHILD. A parent, managing conservator, or guardian of an adopted child may not transfer permanent physical custody of the child to any person who is not a relative or stepparent of the child or an adult who has a significant and…

Sec. 162.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Appropriate public authorities," with reference to this state, means the commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services. (2) "Appropriate authority in the receiving state," with reference to this state, means t…

Sec. 162.102. ADOPTION OF COMPACT; TEXT. The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children is adopted by this state and entered into with all other jurisdictions in form substantially as provided by this subchapter. INTERSTATE COMPACT ON THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN ARTICLE I. PUR…

Sec. 162.103. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILD. (a) Financial responsibility for a child placed as provided in the compact is determined, in the first instance, as provided in Article V of the compact. After partial or complete default of performance under the provisions of Art…

Sec. 162.104. APPROVAL OF PLACEMENT. The commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services may not approve the placement of a child in this state without the concurrence of the individuals with whom the child is proposed to be placed or the head of an institution w…

Sec. 162.105. PLACEMENT IN ANOTHER STATE. A juvenile court may place a delinquent child in an institution in another state as provided by Article VI of the compact. After placement in another state, the court retains jurisdiction of the child as provided by Article V of the compa…

Sec. 162.106. COMPACT AUTHORITY. (a) The governor shall appoint the commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services as compact administrator. (b) The commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services shall designate a deputy compact administrator a…

Sec. 162.107. OFFENSES; PENALTIES. (a) An individual, agency, corporation, or child-care facility that violates a provision of the compact commits an offense. An offense under this subsection is a Class B misdemeanor. (b) An individual, agency, corporation, child-care facility, o…

Sec. 162.201. ADOPTION OF COMPACT; TEXT. The Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance is adopted by this state and entered into with all other jurisdictions joining in the compact in form substantially as provided under this subchapter. INTERSTATE COMPACT ON ADOPTION…

Sec. 162.202. AUTHORITY OF DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES. The Department of Family and Protective Services, with the concurrence of the Health and Human Services Commission, may develop, participate in the development of, negotiate, and enter into one or more inter…

Sec. 162.203. COMPACT ADMINISTRATION. The commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services shall serve as the compact administrator. The administrator shall cooperate with all departments, agencies, and officers of this state and its subdivisions in facilitating t…

Sec. 162.204. SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENTS. The compact administrator may enter into supplementary agreements with appropriate officials of other states under the compact. If a supplementary agreement requires or authorizes the use of any institution or facility of this state or requ…

Sec. 162.205. PAYMENTS BY STATE. The compact administrator, subject to the approval of the chief state fiscal officer, may make or arrange for payments necessary to discharge financial obligations imposed on this state by the compact or by a supplementary agreement entered into u…

Sec. 162.206. PENALTIES. A person who, under a compact entered into under this subchapter, knowingly obtains or attempts to obtain or aids or abets any person in obtaining, by means of a wilfully false statement or representation or by impersonation or other fraudulent device, an…

Sec. 162.301. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Adoption assistance agreement" means a written agreement, binding on the parties to the agreement, between the Department of Family and Protective Services and the prospective adoptive parents that specifies the nature and amoun…

Sec. 162.304. FINANCIAL AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. (a) The department shall administer a program to provide adoption assistance for eligible children and enter into adoption assistance agreements with the adoptive parents of a child as authorized by Part E of Title IV of the federal…

Sec. 162.3041. CONTINUATION OF ASSISTANCE AFTER CHILD'S 18TH BIRTHDAY. (a) The department shall, in accordance with department rules, offer adoption assistance after a child's 18th birthday to the child's adoptive parents under an existing adoption assistance agreement entered in…

Sec. 162.306. POSTADOPTION SERVICES. (a) The department may provide services after adoption to adoptees and adoptive families for whom the department provided services before the adoption. (b) The department may provide services under this section directly or through contract. (c…

Sec. 162.3085. ADOPTIVE PLACEMENT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW REQUIRED. The department or a licensed child-placing agency making an adoptive placement shall comply with the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. Section 1996b). Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 94…

Sec. 162.401. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is to provide for the establishment of mutual consent voluntary adoption registries through which adoptees, birth parents, and biological siblings may voluntarily locate each other. It is not the purpose of this subchapter to …

Sec. 162.402. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Administrator" means the administrator of a mutual consent voluntary adoption registry established under this subchapter. (2) "Adoptee" means a person 18 years of age or older who has been legally adopted in this state or anothe…

Sec. 162.403. ESTABLISHMENT OF VOLUNTARY ADOPTION REGISTRIES. (a) The vital statistics unit shall establish and maintain a mutual consent voluntary adoption registry. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an agency authorized by the department to place children for adoption a…

Sec. 162.404. REQUIREMENT TO SEND INFORMATION TO CENTRAL REGISTRY. An authorized agency that is permitted to provide a registry under this subchapter or that participates in a mutual consent voluntary adoption registry with an association of authorized agencies shall send to the …

Sec. 162.405. DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE REGISTRY. (a) The administrator of the central registry shall determine the appropriate registry to which an applicant is entitled to apply. (b) On receiving an inquiry by an adoptee, birth parent, or sibling who has provided satisfactor…

Sec. 162.406. REGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY. (a) An adoptee who is 18 years of age or older may apply to a registry for information about the adoptee's birth parents and biological siblings. (b) A birth parent who is 18 years of age or older may apply to a registry for information abo…

Sec. 162.407. REGISTRATION. (a) The administrator shall require each registration applicant to sign a written application. (b) An adoptee adopted or placed through an authorized agency may register through the registry maintained by that agency or the registry to which the agency…

Sec. 162.408. PROOF OF IDENTITY. The rules and minimum standards of the Department of State Health Services for the vital statistics unit must provide for proof of identity in order to facilitate the purposes of this subchapter and to protect the privacy rights of adoptees, adopt…

Sec. 162.409. APPLICATION. (a) An application must contain: (1) the name, address, and telephone number of the applicant; (2) any other name or alias by which the applicant has been known; (3) the age, date of birth, and place of birth of the applicant; (4) the original name of t…

Sec. 162.411. FEES. (a) The costs of establishing, operating, and maintaining a registry may be recovered in whole or in part through users' fees charged to applicants and registrants. (b) Each registry shall establish a schedule of fees for services provided by the registry. The…

Sec. 162.412. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION. (a) A registrant may amend the registrant's registration and submit additional information to the administrator. A registrant shall notify the administrator of any change in the registrant's name or address that occurs after acceptance of t…

Sec. 162.413. COUNSELING. The applicant must participate in counseling for not less than one hour with a social worker or mental health professional with expertise in postadoption counseling after the administrator has accepted the application for registration and before the rele…

Sec. 162.414. MATCHING PROCEDURES. (a) The administrator shall process each registration in an attempt to match the adoptee and the adoptee's birth parents or the adoptee and the adoptee's biological siblings. (b) The administrator shall determine that there is a match if the adu…

Sec. 162.416. DISCLOSURE OF IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. (a) When a match has been made and confirmed to the administrator's satisfaction, the administrator shall mail to each registrant, at the registrant's last known address, by fax or registered or certified mail, return receipt r…

Sec. 162.419. REGISTRY RECORDS CONFIDENTIAL. (a) All applications, registrations, records, and other information submitted to, obtained by, or otherwise acquired by a registry are confidential and may not be disclosed to any person or entity except in the manner authorized by thi…

Sec. 162.420. RULEMAKING. (a) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall make rules and adopt minimum standards for the Department of State Health Services to: (1) administer the provisions of this subchapter; and (2) ensure that each registry re…

Sec. 162.421. PROHIBITED ACTS; CRIMINAL PENALTIES. (a) This subchapter does not prevent the Department of State Health Services from making known to the public, by appropriate means, the existence of voluntary adoption registries. (b) Information received by or in connection with…

Sec. 162.422. IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY. (a) The Department of State Health Services or authorized agency establishing or operating a registry is not liable to any person for obtaining or disclosing identifying information about a birth parent, adoptee, or biological sibling within…

Sec. 162.501. ADOPTION OF ADULT. The court may grant the petition of an adult residing in this state to adopt another adult according to this subchapter. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995.

Sec. 162.502. JURISDICTION. The petitioner shall file a suit to adopt an adult in the district court or a statutory county court granted jurisdiction in family law cases and proceedings by Chapter 25, Government Code, in the county of the petitioner's residence. Added by Acts 199…

Sec. 162.503. REQUIREMENTS OF PETITION. (a) A petition to adopt an adult shall be entitled "In the Interest of __________, An Adult." (b) If the petitioner is married, both spouses must join in the petition for adoption. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 2…

Sec. 162.504. CONSENT. A court may not grant an adoption unless the adult consents in writing to be adopted by the petitioner. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995.