Terms Used In Louisiana Children's Code 1127.1

  • Agency: includes the Department of Children and Family Services, the corresponding department of any other state, and those private agencies and institutions licensed for the placement of children for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services or by the corresponding department of any other state. See Louisiana Children's Code 1103
  • Child: means a person under eighteen years of age and not emancipated by marriage. See Louisiana Children's Code 1103
  • Department: means the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. See Louisiana Children's Code 1103

A.  After adoptive placement of the child, the agency, firm, or lawyer facilitating the surrender or person to whom a surrender is made shall have a continuing duty to maintain these records and supplement them if additional nonidentifying medical or genetic information is received about the adopted person or his biological relatives.

B.  Upon a request in accordance with Article 1127, the agency, firm, or lawyer facilitating the surrender shall disclose such information.

C.  In fulfilling this continuing duty, the agency, firm, or lawyer is authorized to contact the adopted person, adoptive parents, and biological parents to provide updated nonidentifying medical and genetic information or to facilitate the exchange of information between the parties.

D.  After the final decree of adoption, if the firm or lawyer is unable to assume ongoing responsibility for the continuing duty pursuant to this Article, it shall transfer its adoption records to the Department of Children and Family Services or another transferee approved by the department.  Thereafter, that transferee shall assume the continuing duty imposed by this Article.  Should any client subsequently attempt to update information, the firm or lawyer shall refer the client to the current custodian of the record, and if appropriate, to the voluntary registry.

Acts 1999, No. 1062, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2000; Acts 2008, No. 583, §1.