Assembly Bill 903 amends existing statutes related to the termination of parental rights under Wisconsin's safe haven law. The bill mandates that a district attorney, corporation counsel, or designated official must file a petition to terminate the parental rights of a newborn child who has been relinquished, or join an existing petition. This petition must be filed in the county where the relinquishment occurred, within a timeframe of 30 to 60 days after the juvenile court has found probable cause to believe that the child was relinquished.

Additionally, the bill makes several amendments to existing legal language. It modifies sections 48.14 and 48.185 to clarify the circumstances under which parental rights can be terminated and specifies that the venue for proceedings concerning a child whose custody has been relinquished will be in the county of relinquishment. A new section, 48.417 (1m), is created to outline the requirements for filing a petition for termination of parental rights in cases of relinquished children. The bill is set to take effect six months after publication.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 48.14(2)(a), 48.14, 48.14(2)(b), 48.185(2), 48.185