63.213 Preplanned adoption agreement. - Florida Statutes

63.213 Preplanned adoption agreement.

   (1) Individuals may enter into a preplanned adoption arrangement as specified in this section, but such arrangement may not in any way:

   (a) Effect final transfer of custody of a child or final adoption of a child without review and approval of the court and without compliance with other applicable provisions of law.

   (b) Constitute consent of a mother to place her child for adoption until 48 hours following birth and unless the court making the custody determination or approving the adoption determines that the mother was aware of her right to rescind within the 48-hour period following birth but chose not to rescind such consent.

   (2) A preplanned adoption agreement must include, but need not be limited to, the following terms:

   (a) That the volunteer mother agrees to become pregnant by the fertility technique specified in the agreement, to bear the child, and to terminate any parental rights and responsibilities to the child she might have through a written consent executed at the same time as the preplanned adoption agreement, subject to a right of rescission by the volunteer mother any time within 48 hours after the birth of the child.

   (b) That the volunteer mother agrees to submit to reasonable medical evaluation and treatment and to adhere to reasonable medical instructions about her prenatal health.

   (c) That the volunteer mother acknowledges that she is aware that she will assume parental rights and responsibilities for the child born to her as otherwise provided by law for a mother if the intended father and intended mother terminate the agreement before final transfer of custody is completed, if a court determines that a parent clearly specified by the preplanned adoption agreement to be the biological parent is not the biological parent, or if the preplanned adoption is not approved by the court pursuant to the Florida Adoption Act.

   (d) That an intended father who is also the biological father acknowledges that he is aware that he will assume parental rights and responsibilities for the child as otherwise provided by law for a father if the agreement is terminated for any reason by any party before final transfer of custody is completed or if the planned adoption is not approved by the court pursuant to the Florida Adoption Act.

   (e) That the intended father and intended mother acknowledge that they may not receive custody or the parental rights under the agreement if the volunteer mother terminates the agreement or if the volunteer mother rescinds her consent to place her child for adoption within 48 hours after birth.

   (f) That the intended father and intended mother may agree to pay all reasonable legal, medical, psychological, or psychiatric expenses of the volunteer mother related to the preplanned adoption arrangement and may agree to pay the reasonable living expenses and wages lost due to the pregnancy and birth of the volunteer mother and reasonable compensation for inconvenience, discomfort, and medical risk. No other compensation, whether in cash or in kind, shall be made pursuant to a preplanned adoption arrangement.

   (g) That the intended father and intended mother agree to accept custody of and to assert full parental rights and responsibilities for the child immediately upon the child’s birth, regardless of any impairment to the child.

   (h) That the intended father and intended mother shall have the right to specify the blood and tissue typing tests to be performed if the agreement specifies that at least one of them is intended to be the biological parent of the child.

   (i) That the agreement may be terminated at any time by any of the parties.

   (3) A preplanned adoption agreement shall not contain any provision:

   (a) To reduce any amount paid to the volunteer mother if the child is stillborn or is born alive but impaired, or to provide for the payment of a supplement or bonus for any reason.

   (b) Requiring the termination of the volunteer mother’s pregnancy.

   (4) An attorney who represents an intended father and intended mother or any other attorney with whom that attorney is associated shall not represent simultaneously a female who is or proposes to be a volunteer mother in any matter relating to a preplanned adoption agreement or preplanned adoption arrangement.

   (5) Payment to agents, finders, and intermediaries, including attorneys and physicians, as a finder’s fee for finding volunteer mothers or matching a volunteer mother and intended father and intended mother is prohibited. Doctors, psychologists, attorneys, and other professionals may receive reasonable compensation for their professional services, such as providing medical services and procedures, legal advice in structuring and negotiating a preplanned adoption agreement, or counseling.

   (6) As used in this section, the term:

   (a) “Blood and tissue typing tests” include, but are not limited to, tests of red cell antigens, red cell isoenzymes, human leukocyte antigens, and serum proteins.

   (b) “Child” means the child or children conceived by means of an insemination that is part of a preplanned adoption arrangement.

   (c) “Fertility technique” means artificial embryonation, artificial insemination, whether in vivo or in vitro, egg donation, or embryo adoption.

   (d) “Intended father” means a male who, as evidenced by a preplanned adoption agreement, intends to assert the parental rights and responsibilities for a child conceived through a fertility technique, regardless of whether the child is biologically related to the male.

   (e) “Intended mother” means a female who, as evidenced by a preplanned adoption agreement, intends to assert the parental rights and responsibilities for a child conceived through a fertility technique, regardless of whether the child is biologically related to the female.

   (f) “Party” means the intended father, the intended mother, the volunteer mother, or the volunteer mother’s husband, if she has a husband.

   (g) “Preplanned adoption agreement” means a written agreement among the parties that specifies the intent of the parties as to their rights and responsibilities in the preplanned adoption arrangement, consistent with the provisions of this section.

   (h) “Preplanned adoption arrangement” means the arrangement through which the parties enter into an agreement for the volunteer mother to bear the child, for payment by the intended father and intended mother of the expenses allowed by this section, for the intended father and intended mother to assert full parental rights and responsibilities to the child if consent to adoption is not rescinded after birth by the volunteer mother, and for the volunteer mother to terminate, subject to a right of rescission, all her parental rights and responsibilities to the child in favor of the intended father and intended mother.

   (i) “Volunteer mother” means a female at least 18 years of age who voluntarily agrees, subject to a right of rescission, that if she should become pregnant pursuant to a preplanned adoption arrangement, she will terminate her parental rights and responsibilities to the child in favor of the intended father and intended mother.

History. s. 36, ch. 2003-58.