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Alternative procedure for relinquishment - 23 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2504

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     § 2504.  Alternative procedure for relinquishment.
        (a)  Petition to confirm consent to adoption.--If the parent
     or parents of the child have executed consents to an adoption,
     upon petition by the intermediary or, where there is no
     intermediary, by the adoptive parent, the court shall hold a
     hearing for the purpose of confirming a consent to an adoption
     upon expiration of the time periods under section 2711 (relating
     to consents necessary to adoption). The original consent or
     consents to the adoption shall be attached to the petition.
        (b)  Hearing.--Upon presentation of a petition filed pursuant
     to this section, the court shall fix a time for a hearing which
     shall not be less than ten days after filing of the petition.
     Notice of the hearing shall be by personal service or by
     registered mail or by such other means as the court may require
     upon the consenter and shall be in the form provided in section
     2513(b) (relating to hearing). Notice of the hearing shall be
     given to the other parent or parents, to the putative father
     whose parental rights could be terminated pursuant to subsection
     (c) and to the parents or guardian of a consenting parent who
     has not reached 18 years of age. The notice shall state that the
     consenting parent's or putative father's rights may be
     terminated as a result of the hearing. After hearing, which
     shall be private, the court may enter a decree of termination of
     parental rights in the case of a relinquishment to an adult or a
     decree of termination of parental rights and duties, including
     the obligation of support, in the case of a relinquishment to an
     agency.
        (c)  Putative father.--If a putative father will not execute
     a consent to an adoption as required by section 2711, has been
     given notice of the hearing being held pursuant to this section
     and fails to either appear at that hearing for the purpose of
     objecting to termination of his parental rights or file a
     written objection to such termination with the court prior to
     the hearing and has not filed an acknowledgment of paternity or
     claim of paternity pursuant to section 5103 (relating to
     acknowledgment and claim of paternity), the court may enter a
     decree terminating the parental rights of the putative father
     pursuant to subsection (b).
        (d)  Right to file personal and medical history
     information.--At the time the decree of termination is
     transmitted to the parent, the court shall also advise, in
     writing, the parent whose rights have been terminated of his or
     her continuing right to place and update personal and medical
     history information, whether or not the medical condition is in
     existence or discoverable at the time of adoption, on file with
     the court and with the Department of Public Welfare pursuant to
     section 2905(d) (relating to impounding of proceedings and
     access to records).
     (June 23, 1982, P.L.617, No.174, eff. 60 days; May 21, 1992,
     P.L.228, No.34, eff. 60 days; Dec. 20, 1995, P.L.685, No.76,
     eff. 60 days; Mar. 24, 2004, P.L.159, No.21, eff. 60 days)

        2004 Amendment.  Act 21 amended subsec. (a). Section 2 of Act
     21 provided that the amendment of subsec. (a) shall apply to
     adoptions which are initiated on or after the effective date of
     section 2.
        1995 Amendment.  Act 76 amended subsec. (d).
        Cross References.  Section 2504 is referred to in section
     2505 of this title.

Last modified: November 27, 2007