North Carolina HB 844: Finding Grace Family Bill.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 844

Short Title: Finding Grace Family Bill. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Echevarria, Wheatley, and Riddell (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 10, 2025
*H844-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO CHANGE HEALTH CARE AND ADOPTION LAWS. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
4
PART I. ADOPTION LAW CHANGES 5
SECTION 1.1. G.S. 7B-100 reads as rewritten: 6
"Chapter 7B. 7
"Juvenile Code. 8
"SUBCHAPTER I. ABUSE, NEGLECT, DEPENDENCY. 9
"Article 1. 10
"Purposes; Definitions. 11
"§ 7B-100. Purpose. 12
This Subchapter shall be interpreted and construed so as to implement the following purposes 13
and policies: 14
(1) To provide procedures for the hearing of juvenile cases that assure fairness 15
and equity and that protect the constitutional rights of juveniles and parents; 16
(2) To develop a disposition in each juvenile case that reflects consideration of 17
the facts, the needs and limitations of the juvenile, and the strengths and 18
weaknesses of the family. 19
(3) To provide for services for the protection of juveniles by means that respect 20
both the right to family autonomy and the juveniles' needs for safety, 21
continuity, and permanence; and 22
(4) To provide standards for the removal, when necessary, of juveniles from their 23
homes and for the return of juveniles to their homes consistent with preventing 24
the unnecessary or inappropriate separation of juveniles from their parents. 25
(5) To provide standards, consistent with the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 26
1997, P.L. 105-89, for ensuring that the best interests of the juvenile are of 27
paramount consideration by the court and that when it is not in the juvenile's 28
best interest to be returned home, the juvenile will be placed in a safe, 29
permanent home within a reasonable amount of time.two years." 30
SECTION 1.2. G.S. 7B-1111 reads as rewritten: 31
"§ 7B-1111. Grounds for terminating parental rights. 32
(a) The court may terminate the parental rights upon a finding of one or more of the 33
following: 34
... 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 844-First Edition
(7) The parent has willfully abandoned the juvenile for at least six consecutive 1
cumulative months immediately preceding the filing of the petition or motion, 2
or the parent has voluntarily abandoned an infant as a safely surrendered infant 3
pursuant to Article 5A of this Subchapter for at least 60 consecutive days 4
immediately preceding the filing of the petition or motion. 5
...." 6
SECTION 1.3. G.S. 48-1-110 reads as rewritten: 7
"§ 48-1-110. Support Adoption information; support for adoptive families at risk of 8
dissolution. 9
(a) The Department of Health and Human Services shall provide information on its 10
website addressing all of the following: 11
(1) Benefits of adoption and the adoption process in North Carolina. 12
(2) Adoption agencies in North Carolina and related services. 13
(3) Causes of disruption of adoptive placement or dissolution of adoption and 14
resources available to avoid disruption or dissolution. 15
(4) Services to assist women during and after pregnancy and childbirth. 16
(5) Abortion alternatives and related services. 17
(b) The Department of Health and Human Services shall develop a program to provide 18
needed supports to families at risk of adoption dissolutions in order to keep families together." 19
SECTION 1.4. G.S. 48-2-206 reads as rewritten: 20
"§ 48-2-206. Prebirth determination of right to consent. 21
(a) At any time after approximately three months from the date of conception as 22
reasonably determined by a physician, the biological mother, agency, or adoptive parents chosen 23
by the biological mother may file a special proceeding with the clerk requesting the court to 24
determine whether consent of the biological father is required. The biological father shall be 25
served with notice of the intent of the biological mother to place the child for adoption, allowing 26
the biological father 30 days after service to assert a claim that his consent is required. 27
...." 28
SECTION 1.5. G.S. 48-2-607 reads as rewritten: 29
"§ 48-2-607. Appeals. 30
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, after the final order of 31
adoption is entered, no party to an adoption proceeding nor anyone claiming under such a party 32
may question the validity of the adoption because of any defect or irregularity, jurisdictional or 33
otherwise, in the proceeding, but shall be fully bound by the order. No adoption may be attacked 34
either directly or collaterally because of any procedural or other defect by anyone who was not a 35
party to the adoption. The failure on the part of the court or an agency to perform duties or acts 36
within the time required by the provisions of this Cha