Home

Profile

State Budget

News

Newsletters

Legislation

Highway Construction Updates

Sign Up For Email Updates

Audio/Video

Photo Gallery

District Info

Constituent Services

Contact Me

Office Staff

Senate Resources

State Resources

Federal Resources

Senior Resources

Veterans Resources

Kids Resources

Search

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2005
Contact: Tracy Polovick
Coordinator of Communications and Outreach
(717) 787-8524
Back

Senate Passes Vance Legislation to Streamline Foreign Adoption Procedures

HARRISBURG – The Senate on Tuesday approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Patricia Vance (R-Cumberland/York) that simplifies procedures to register adoptions in Pennsylvania for parents who adopt children from another country.

"I'm pleased the Senate moved this legislation forward," Vance said. "Because foreign adoption procedures vary from county to county in Pennsylvania, some parents must complete burdensome paperwork and endure further costs to have their child's adoption registered in the Commonwealth. Since parents just completed a stringent adoption process in the child's birth country, further hurdles are not needed."

Senate Bill 332 would allow a parent to file a final foreign adoption decree with the clerk of the Orphans' Court. The clerk would then be required to issue to the adopting parent or parents a certificate of the adoption stating it has been registered in the county court. Additionally, the clerk would be required to send a certificate of the adoption to the Office of Vital Statistics for filing. The bill would permit counties to still charge a filing fee to cover the costs associated with issuing the certificates, which must be in accordance with its already approved fee schedule and not be financially burdensome to families.

Additionally, the legislation will permit persons seeking to register a foreign adoption to do so without the need to obtain counsel and without the need for a formal hearing.

The bill now goes to the House for consideration.

Vance's district includes all of Cumberland County and Carroll, Fairview, Franklin, Monaghan, Warrington and Washington townships and Dillsburg, Franklintown and Wellsville boroughs in York County.