An Act To Prevent the Reduction in Adoption Subsidy after an Agreement Has Been Signed by the Prospective Adoptive Parents and the Department of Health and Human Services

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  adoption assistance payments from the Department of Health and Human Services to prospective adoptive parents are essential to those parents' providing the necessary care and support of the adopted child; and

Whereas,  when the Department of Health and Human Services reduces adoption assistance payment amounts after they have been agreed upon by the department and prospective adoptive parents it imposes an economic hardship on the parents and threatens their ability to provide proper care for the child; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Sec. 1. 18-A MRSA §9-403, sub-§(a),  as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. C, §7 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.

summary

This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from reducing its adoption assistance payments to adoptive parents once an adoption assistance payment is agreed upon.