Sec. 107.159. REQUIREMENTS FOR PRE-PLACEMENT PORTION OF ADOPTION EVALUATION AND REPORT. (a) Unless otherwise agreed to by the court, the pre-placement part of an adoption evaluation must comply with the minimum requirements for the pre-placement part of an adoption evaluation under rules adopted by the commissioner of the department.

(b) Unless a child who is the subject of the suit begins to reside in a prospective adoptive home before the suit is commenced, an adoption evaluator shall file with the court a report containing the evaluator's findings and conclusions made after completion of the pre-placement portion of the adoption evaluation.

(c) In a suit filed after the date a child who is the subject of the suit begins to reside in a prospective adoptive home, the report required under this section and the post-placement adoption evaluation report required under Section 107.160 may be combined in a single report.

(d) The report required under this section must be filed with the court before the court may sign the final order for termination of the parent-child relationship. The report shall be included in the record of the suit.

(e) A copy of the report prepared under this section must be made available to the prospective adoptive parents before the court renders a final order of adoption.

Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1252 (H.B. 1449), Sec. 1.18, eff. September 1, 2015.

Amended by:

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 316 (H.B. 5), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2017.