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Committee approves HB51 to tighten oversight of private adoption agencies, set payment limits and add consent protections
Summary
HB51 creates a DHHS‑overseen consortium of private child‑placing agencies, clarifies allowable payments to birth parents, adds a 72‑hour revocation window for consent given under duress or fraud, limits late‑term travel for birth parents and requires notification steps by hospitals. Sponsor and multiple advocacy groups said the changes protect birth parents and deter exploitative, "adoption tourism" practices.
Representative Hall presented HB51, a package of adoption amendments she described as intended to curb exploitative practices and strengthen transparency across private child‑placing agencies.
Hall said Utah’s adoption rate (cited in committee as about 11.1 adoptions per 10,000 households versus a national average of 4.9) prompted a multi‑committee review. The bill would create a DHHS‑overseen consortium of private child‑placing agencies to collect consistent adoption…
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