House Bill 364

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO COMPILE A LIST OF PERSONS INTERESTED IN ADOPTING CHILDREN; TO REQUIRE THAT EACH PERSON ON THE LIST BE A MISSISSIPPI RESIDENT AND PAY A FEE OF TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS FOR EACH YEAR HIS OR HER NAME IS ON THE LIST; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The Department of Human Services is authorized to compile a list of persons who are interested in adopting children. Any person who is interested in placing his or her name on the list must be a resident of Mississippi and pay a fee of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) per year for each year his or her name is on the list. Persons on the list have the option of disclosing some of their personal characteristics to be included on the list including, but not limited to, race and religion; however, the income of the persons shall not be included on the list. The department may make the list available, upon request, to any member of the public, but the personal characteristics of those persons on the list shall not be made available to the public. However, the department may provide, upon request, a list of persons possessing specified characteristics to any person who is considering placing his or her child for adoption. The department may require such information as it deems necessary from the requester to demonstrate that the requester is actually considering placing his or her child for adoption.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall be codified in Title 93, Chapter 17, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2003.