The proposed legislation aims to eliminate interlocutory decrees of adoption and amend the Revised Uniform Adoption Act in Arkansas. Key changes include the removal of references to "interlocutory decrees" throughout various sections of the law, which will now only recognize final decrees of adoption. For instance, the requirement for a petitioner to complete an adoption information sheet is now tied solely to the entry of a final decree. Additionally, the bill clarifies that no orders of adoption can be entered prior to the withdrawal period for consent, and it establishes that the jurisdiction for adoption cases remains with the circuit court even if a juvenile is placed outside of Arkansas.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that the rights and responsibilities of biological parents will be terminated upon the entry of a final decree of adoption, and it modifies the language regarding the issuance of new birth records to reflect this change. The legislation also includes a provision that ensures any interlocutory decrees issued before the act's effective date will remain valid under the terms set by the court. Overall, the bill seeks to streamline the adoption process by eliminating the intermediary step of interlocutory decrees, thereby simplifying legal proceedings related to adoption in Arkansas.

Statutes affected:
Old version SB599 Original - 4-1-2025 02:37 PM: 9-9-104(c), 9-9-205(a), 9-9-212(a), 9-9-213, 9-9-214(c), 9-9-215, 9-9-219, 9-9-220(a), 9-14-237(a), 9-27-306(a), 23-98-106(a)
Old version SB599 V2 - 4-7-2025 12:25 PM: 9-9-104(c), 9-9-205(a), 9-9-212(a), 9-9-213, 9-9-214(c), 9-9-215, 04-07-2025, 9-9-219, 9-9-220(a), 9-14-237(a), 9-27-306(a), 23-98-106(a)
SB 599: 9-9-104(c), 9-9-205(a), 9-9-212(a), 9-9-213, 9-9-214(c), 9-9-215, 9-9-219, 9-9-220(a), 9-14-237(a), 9-27-306(a), 23-98-106(a)
Act 744: 9-9-104(c), 9-9-205(a), 9-9-212(a), 9-9-213, 9-9-214(c), 9-9-215, 04-07-2025, 9-9-219, 9-9-220(a), 9-14-237(a), 9-27-306(a), 23-98-106(a)