One of two competing bills to allow notification of unmarried fathers about pending adoptions — and give them 30 days to register with the state or lose the right to contest the adoption — passed the Senate on Friday.
The Senate voted 27-0 to pass SB55 by Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, and sent it to the House.
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His bill allows — but does not mandate — sending notification to biological fathers of a pending adoption. It would give them 30 days to register with the state, otherwise their future right to contest the adoption would be waived.
Weiler said a risk to the fathers, however, is that if the adoption does not proceed, they are acknowledging their paternity and could be responsible for child support payments in the future.
He said some young birth mothers "spend months and months worrying what happens once they put their baby up for adoption." Notifications could let them know sooner if adoptions may be contested.
"What this does do is provide a mechanism where an unmarried biological father can be notified of his rights and given 30 days to make an informed decision," he said.
A different bill, HB308 by Rep. Christine Watkins, D-Price, would make notification mandatory, but only to out-of-state fathers.
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