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Committee backs amendment to allow courts to consider no‑contact and supervised‑contact orders in adoptions and terminations
Summary
A bill would permit family courts to consider no‑contact or supervised‑contact orders in termination of parental rights or adoption proceedings when requested by a party or on the court’s own motion; subcommittee amendment narrows triggers and specifies evidence and sibling input.
The committee considered a bill requiring family court, after entering orders terminating parental rights or issuing adoption decrees, to consider whether a no‑contact order or supervised‑contact order is necessary to protect the child. A subcommittee amendment narrowed the provision so the court acts only on motion by a party or on its own motion to avoid slowing adoption proceedings.
Sponsor and witnesses said the change grew from real cases where biological parents later endangered adopted children; the subcommittee added procedures for who may petition, what evidence can be presented, and how siblings of the adopted child can be included in the process. One sponsor argued that the amendment preserves adoption timelines while giving courts a tool when needed. The committee adopted the subcommittee amendment and moved the measure forward.
