Sec. 115t.

(1) If sufficient funds are appropriated in the department's annual budget and subject to subsection (4), beginning January 1, 2015, the department shall pay redetermined adoption assistance to an adoptive parent of an adoptee who is placed in the adoptive parent's home under the adoption code or under the adoption laws of another state or a tribal government, if the adoptive parent requests redetermined adoption assistance and both of the following requirements are met:

(a) The department has certified that the adoptee requires extraordinary care or expense due to a condition the cause of which existed before the adoption was finalized.

(b) Certification is made before the adoptee's eighteenth birthday.

(2) If the department denies or the adoptive parent disagrees with the certification, the adoptive parent may request a hearing through an administrative law judge in a manner consistent with the rules promulgated under the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.

(3) Redetermined adoption assistance does not affect or duplicate any original adoption assistance agreement that may be in place at the time that redetermined adoption assistance eligibility is requested. Redetermined adoption assistance shall be determined without regard to the income of the adoptive parent and shall be based on 1 or more of the following for which extraordinary care is required of the adoptive parent or an extraordinary expense exists in excess of a support subsidy:

(a) A physically disabled child for whom the adoptive parent must provide measurably greater supervision and care.

(b) A child with special psychological or psychiatric needs that require extra time and a measurably greater amount of care and attention by the adoptive parent.

(c) A child requiring a special diet that is more expensive than a normal diet and that requires extra time and effort by the adoptive parent to obtain and prepare.

(d) A child whose severe acting out or antisocial behavior requires a measurably greater amount of care and attention of the adoptive parent.

(e) Any other condition for which the department determines that extraordinary care is required of the adoptive parent or an extraordinary expense exists.

(4) An adoptive parent who has an adoption assistance agreement signed and in effect before January 1, 2015 may request redetermined adoption assistance under this section in the same manner as provided in this section beginning January 1, 2015 but not after March 31, 2015.

(5) An adoptive parent may only request 1 redetermined adoption assistance certification to be made under subsection (1) or (4) per adoptee placed in the adoptive parent's home.

(6) An adoptive parent of an adoptee who was adopted from foster care between the ages of 0 and 18 and whose adoption was finalized after January 1, 2015 may request redetermined adoption assistance under this section.

History: Add. 2014, Act 308, Imd. Eff. Oct. 10, 2014 Popular Name: Act 280