The bill amends the Adoption Act and the New Mexico Uniform Parentage Act to introduce "confirmatory adoptions," which allow parents of children conceived through assisted reproduction to confirm their parentage and obtain an adoption judgment. Key definitions are added, including "confirmatory adoption," and the bill clarifies that provisions applicable to father-child relationships also apply to mother-child and parent-child relationships, ensuring equal treatment. It also revises the pre-placement study requirements, which will not apply to confirmatory adoptions, and updates the notice requirements for adoption petitions, specifying who must be served and allowing for waivers of notice.

Additionally, the bill establishes new requirements for accounting and payment related to adoption services, mandating that an accounting report be signed under penalty of perjury and detailing services received in connection with the adoption. It specifies that only prospective adoptive parents may make payments for allowed expenses and introduces penalties for violations. The legislation streamlines the petition process for confirmatory adoptions by eliminating certain requirements, such as placement studies and criminal record checks, and mandates that the court grant a petition within thirty days if the petitioners are legally recognized parents with no competing claims of parentage.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 32A-5-3, 32A-5-14, 32A-5-27, 32A-5-34, 40-11A-704
Final Version: 32A-5-3, 32A-5-14, 32A-5-27, 32A-5-34, 40-11A-704