HB118 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Barbara DrummondRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Adoption, to allow for post-adoption agreements for contact between adopted child and biologial relatives, Caleb's law, Sec. 26-10A-30 am'd.

Summary

Caleb's Law lets an adopted child pursue post-adoption contact or communication with biological relatives and sets rules for when such orders can be granted.

What This Bill Does

The bill allows a petition for post-adoption communication or contact between an adopted child and biological relatives such as siblings, biological parents, or other relatives. It requires certain conditions be met, including a written agreement from the adoptive parents, consent from biological relatives via an affidavit, and a court finding that the arrangement is in the child's best interest. It also preserves or adds post-adoption visitation rights for natural grandparents in certain adoption situations, at the court's discretion, before or after final adoption. The bill specifies how courts should review requests for these orders and existing orders.

Who It Affects

• Adopted child and their adoptive parents: potential to establish post-adoption contact or communication with biological relatives, contingent on written agreement and court approval.
• Biological relatives (including siblings, biological parents/guardians, and natural grandparents in relevant scenarios): may be involved in or granted post-adoption contact or visitation orders, with required consents and court-based best-interest determinations.

Key Provisions

• Amends 26-10A-30 to enable post-adoption contact/communication with biological relatives as a possible order, not limited to visitation.
• Subsection (a): Establishes post-adoption visitation rights for natural grandparents when the adoptee is adopted by a stepparent, grandparent, sibling, aunt/uncle, or their spouses, to be granted or maintained at the court's discretion if in the child's best interest, and can occur before or after final adoption.
• Subsection (b): Allows post-adoption rights to contact with biological siblings if: (1) adoptive parents consent in writing; (2) biological relatives consent via affidavit; (3) the probate court finds it in the child's best interest.
• Section 3: Effective immediately upon governor's approval (or otherwise becoming law).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Adoption