Termination of parental rights in adoption proceedings.

The Uniform Parentage Act provides for, among other things, the termination of parental rights in adoption proceedings. If a mother relinquishes for or consents to, or proposes to relinquish for or consent to, the adoption of a child who has a presumed parent, the act requires that the presumed parent be given notice of the adoption proceeding and that the presumed parent have specified rights, unless the presumed parent's rights have been terminated, determined by a court not to exist, or voluntarily relinquished. The act authorizes a presumed father to waive the right to notice of any adoption proceeding by executing a specified form before a notary public or other authorized person. If the child is an Indian child, as defined under the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) , the act requires a waiver of consent by an Indian presumed father to be executed in accordance with specified requirements set forth in the ICWA. This bill would provide that a presumed father's waiver signed in accordance with these provisions is a sufficient basis for a court to order the termination of the presumed father's parental rights without further notice.