1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to children; providing visitation by foster 
  1.3             siblings of children formerly in foster care; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 257.022, subdivision 
  1.5             3, and by adding a subdivision. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 257.022, 
  1.8   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 3.  [EXCEPTION FOR ADOPTED CHILDREN.] Except for 
  1.10  subdivision 3b, this section shall not apply if the child has 
  1.11  been adopted by a person other than a stepparent or 
  1.12  grandparent.  Any visitation rights granted pursuant to this 
  1.13  section prior to the adoption of the child shall be 
  1.14  automatically terminated upon such adoption. 
  1.15     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 257.022, is 
  1.16  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.17     Subd. 3b.  [FOSTER SIBLING VISITATION WITH A CHILD.] A 
  1.18  guardian ad litem with approval of the foster parent may 
  1.19  petition the district court for an order granting reasonable 
  1.20  visitation rights between a child during the child's minority 
  1.21  and a foster sibling of the child.  The court shall grant the 
  1.22  petition if it finds that visitation rights would be in the best 
  1.23  interests of the child and would not interfere with a parent and 
  1.24  child relationship, if any. 
  1.25     For purposes of this subdivision, "foster sibling" means: 
  2.1      (1) an individual who is the child by birth or adoption or 
  2.2   the stepchild of a foster parent with whom a child under this 
  2.3   subdivision was placed; or 
  2.4      (2) an individual who was placed with a foster parent 
  2.5   during any part of the period that a child under this 
  2.6   subdivision was placed with the foster parent.