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Committee weighs bill to keep sibling ties after adoption as advocates press for clarity
Summary
Witnesses, including foster-care advocates and a former guardian ad litem, urged support for HB 157 to ensure siblings remain legally recognized after adoption; agencies and the courts warned broad language could create placement-preference conflicts or extra hearings, and the committee set an amendment deadline for May 14, 2026.
The House Judiciary Committee heard invited testimony May 8 on HB 157, a bill aimed at ensuring siblings in Alaska’s foster-care system remain legally recognized to one another after adoption. Witnesses said the change would protect children’s relationships and encourage post-adoption contact; court and agency officials urged careful drafting to avoid unintended burdens.
Amanda Mativier, executive director of Facing Foster Care in Alaska and a person with lived foster-care experience, told the committee HB 157 "directly addresses that harm by ensuring that siblings remain legal siblings after adoption, even when adopted into different families." Mativier said the bill grew from youth-driven…
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