Minnesota Session Laws - 1987, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1987 

                        CHAPTER 173-H.F.No. 270 
           An act relating to adoption; providing for notice of 
          an adopted child or genetic parent's death or terminal 
          illness; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
          Statutes, chapter 259. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  [259.253] [NOTIFICATION OF DEATH OR TERMINAL 
ILLNESS.] 
    Subdivision 1.  [DEATH NOTIFICATION.] (a) An agency 
authorized to place a child for adoption shall inform parents 
who adopt a child on or after August 1, 1987, that they must 
notify the agency if the child dies.  The agency also shall 
inform the adoptive parents that the adoptive parents of an 
adopted child under age 19 or an adopted person age 19 or older 
may maintain a current address on file with the agency and 
indicate a desire to be notified if the agency receives 
information of the death of a genetic parent.  The agency shall 
inform genetic parents who are entitled to notice under section 
259.26 that the agency will notify them of the child's death and 
the cause of death, if known, provided that the genetic parents 
desire notice and maintain current addresses on file with the 
agency.  The agency shall inform genetic parents entitled to 
notice under section 259.26 that they may designate individuals 
to notify the agency if a genetic parent dies and that the 
agency receiving information of the genetic parent's death will 
share it with adoptive parents, if the adopted person is under 
age 19, or an adopted person age 19 or older who has indicated a 
desire to be notified of the death of a genetic parent and who 
maintains a current address on file with the agency. 
    (b) Notice to a genetic parent that a child has died or to 
the adoptive parents or an adopted person age 19 or older that a 
genetic parent has died shall be provided by an employee of the 
agency through personal, confidential contact, not by mail. 
    (c) Adoptive parents residing in this state whose child was 
adopted through an agency in another state shall, if the child 
dies, notify the agency of the child's death. 
    Subd. 2.  [TERMINAL ILLNESS NOTIFICATION.] An agency 
authorized to place a child for adoption shall inform the 
adoptive parents and genetic parents of a child who is adopted 
on or after August 1, 1987, that the genetic parents, the 
adoptive parents of an adopted person under age 19, or an 
adopted person age 19 or older may request to be notified if a 
genetic parent or the child is terminally ill.  The agency shall 
notify the other parties if a request is received under this 
subdivision and inform them that upon their request the agency 
will share information regarding a terminal illness with the 
adoptive or genetic parents or an adopted person age 19 or older.
    Approved May 20, 1987