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HB181 would eliminate duplicative re‑adoption step for international adoptions in Georgia
Summary
Representative Earhart said HB181 would allow families who complete federal adoption procedures to obtain a certificate of foreign birth through vital records instead of a state re-adoption process that can cost thousands of dollars.
ATLANTA — Representative Earhart presented House Bill 181 to the Senate Rules committee March 25, describing a measure to remove what he called a “costly and duplicative” re‑adoption step for Georgia families who adopt children internationally.
Earhart explained that families who complete federal adoption and obtain a certificate of citizenship currently must, in Georgia, go through a state readoption process that often involves court appearances and hiring an attorney. He said HB181 would allow families to submit the same federal documentation to the Department of Vital Records to obtain a certificate of foreign birth without a separate court re‑adoption.
Earhart told the committee he was “told hundreds” of these adoptions occur and said the re‑adoption step typically costs “somewhere between $2,000 and $6,000.” He described the bill as “a very kind and compassionate piece of legislation.”
Nut graf: The bill would remove the in‑state readoption requirement for internationally adopted children who have completed the federal adoption and citizenship certification process, shifting the administrative recognition from a court proceeding to the vital‑records process.
Committee reaction and next steps: Committee members praised the proposal and the bill was included on the Rules committee’s list to move forward. The transcript does not include the bill text, an official count of how many families would be affected or analysis from the Department of Vital Records on procedural implementation.
