Social Concerns Network
Action Alert
March 9, 2001
SOCIAL CONCERNS NETWORK ACTION ALERT
Adoption Bill Passes House of Representatives
RE:
HB 141 (Representative Evelyn Lynn)
Adoption
SB 138 (Senator Skip Campbell) Adoption
FROM: Patricia M. Chivers, Associate for Social Concerns
DATE: March
9, 2001
March 8, 2001 House vote results: Yea - 104; Nay - 8; No Vote - 8. The bill is
now on Second Reading in the Senate.
Action Needed:
Please email, write or call your Representative and Senator. Please refer to the
vote information at the end of this alert to see who voted YES for HB 141 when it was
voted on before the full House on March 8, 2001.
** Message to the 104 Members of the House of
Representatives who voted YES: "Thank you for your
support of HB 141. Passage of this bill means positive changes to Florida's Adoption Law.
We appreciate your vote for this legislation, which will provide the maximum certainty and
finality that can be achieved in the adoption process."
** Message to Senators:
"SB 138 (Senator Skip Campbell) on adoption is on second reading and has been placed
on the Senate calendar. Please vote YES on this good bill."
E-mail links for legislators are accessible at the end of
this alert.
Background: SB 138
(Campbell) means positive changes to Florida's Adoption Law. Adoption is an act of
love which should benefit all members of the adoption triad: the child, the adoptive
parents and the birth parents. SB 138 ensures detailed attention to fairly and equitably
recognizing the adoption triad and provides the maximum certainty and finality that can be
achieved in the adoption process.
SB 138 will:
Provide that the consent to adoption may not be
signed until 48 hours after the child is born or until the birth mother's release from the
hospital so that the birth mother has an opportunity to recover from the delivery of the
baby before signing the consent for adoption.
Provide that a birth parent of a child who is not a newborn may
revoke a consent to adoption for any reason within three days of signing it. Twenty-one
states provide a statutorily specified time for revocation of a birth parent's consent to
adoption. California and New York have revocation periods of 90 days and 45 days,
respectively.
Require the adoption entity to initiate steps to notify the
"father" no later than seven days after the adoption entity has been contracted
in writing by the birth mother regarding her desire to place a child for adoption.
Thank you for your faithful citizenship!
Contact
Florida Senators Contact
Florida House Members
For more information, please contact Patricia M. Chivers, Associate for
Social Concerns, (850) 222- 3803 or pchivers@flacathconf.org
HB 141 vote information from the March 8, 2001 Journal of the House of
Representatives is provided below:
Yeas-104
The Chair
Cantens Harrington Meadows
Alexander
Carassas Hart Mealor
Allen
Clarke Henriquez Melvin
Andrews
Crow Heyman Miller
Argenziano
Detert Hogan
Murman
Arza
Diaz de la Portilla Holloway
Needelman
Attkisson
Diaz-Balart Jennings
Negron
Atwater
Dockery Johnson
Paul
Ausley
Farkas Jordan
Pickens
Baker
Fasano Justice
Richardson
Ball
Fields Kallinger
Romeo
Barreiro
Fiorentino Kendrick
Ross
Bean
Flanagan Kilmer
Rubio
Bendross-Mindingall
Frankel Kosmas
Russell
Bennett
Gannon Kottkamp
Seiler
Bense Garcia Kravitz
Simmons
Benson Gardiner Kyle
Siplin
Berfield
Gelber Lacasa
Slosberg
Betancourt Gibson Lee
Sorensen
Bilirakis
Goodlette Littlefield
Spratt
Bowen
Gottlieb Lynn
Stansel
Brown
Green Machek
Trovillion
Brutus
Greenstein Mack
Wallace
Bucher
Haridopolos Mayfield
Waters
Bullard
Harper Maygarden
Weissman
Byrd Harrell McGriff
Wishner
Nays-8
Brummer Lerner Peteman
Sobel
Joyner Mahon Rich
Wilson
Votes after roll call:
Yeas-Cusack, Davis, Prieguez, Ryan, Wiles
Nays-Smith
So the bill passed, as amended, and was certified to the Senate.