| | Sec. D-14. 18-A MRSA §9-308, sub-§(b), as amended by PL 1999, c. 78, | §1, is further amended to read: |
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| | (b) In determining the best interests of the adoptee, the | court shall consider and evaluate the following factors to give | the adoptee a permanent home at the earliest possible date: |
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| (1) The love, affection and other emotional ties existing | between the adoptee and the adopting person or persons, the | biological parent or biological parents or the any putative | father parent; |
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| (2) The capacity and disposition of the adopting person or | persons, the biological parent or biological parents or the | any putative father parent to educate and give the adoptee | love, affection and guidance and to meet the needs of the | adoptee. An adoption may not be delayed or denied because | the adoptive parent and the child do not share the same | race, color or national origin; and |
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| (3) The capacity and disposition of the adopting person or | persons, the biological parent or biological parents or the | any putative father parent to provide the adoptee with food, | clothing and other material needs, education, permanence and | medical care or other remedial care recognized and permitted | in place of medical care under the laws of this State. |
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| | Sec. D-15. 18-A MRSA §9-308, sub-§(d), as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, | Pt. C, §7 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: |
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| | (d) Upon completion of an adoption proceeding, the biological | parents who consented to an adoption or who executed a surrender | and release must be notified of the completion by regular mail at | their last known address. Notice under this subsection is not | required to a biological parent who is also a petitioner. When | the biological parents' rights have been terminated pursuant to | Title 22, section 4055, the notice must be given to the | department and the department shall notify the biological parents | of the completion by regular mail at their last known address. | Actual receipt of the notice is not a precondition of completion | and does not affect the rights or responsibilities of adoptees or | adoptive parents. |
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| | Sec. D-16. 18-A MRSA §9-315, sub-§(b), as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, | Pt. C, §7 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: |
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| | (b) Notice of a petition to annul must be given to the | biological persons who were the adoptee's parents prior to the |
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