Art. 1131. Filing of surrender; institution of records check

A. Within three days after the surrender becomes irrevocable under Article 1123, exclusive of legal holidays, the agency or attorney for the prospective adoptive parents shall file the authentic act of voluntary surrender, together with a preliminary estimate and accounting of fees and charges in accordance with Article 1201 or 1223.1 and any certification for adoption or court order approving the adoptive placement required by Chapter 2 of Title XII in a court of proper venue as authorized by Article 1180.

B. If the parent has previously executed an intent to surrender for adoption, pursuant to Chapter 2-A of this Title, the surrender shall be filed in that same court.

C. The surrender, and certification for adoption or court order approving the adoptive placement if required, may be filed later than three days after execution only with leave of court for good cause shown.

D. Upon filing, the court shall promptly review the surrender and any accompanying documents to ensure their sufficiency in accordance with Article 1104. If any document fails to comply with the requirements of this Title, the court shall immediately notify all counsel of record and may refuse to accept the surrender until such time as the defects are remedied. If the surrender and documents are found to comply with the requirements of this Title, the court shall enter an order approving the surrender and immediately notify all counsel of record.

E. Upon the filing of any court order approving the adoptive placement pursuant to Article 1178, the court shall immediately issue both of the following orders:

(1) That the sheriff or the office of state police, Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, conduct a records check for all federal arrests and convictions and all state arrests and convictions in this and any other states in which either of the prospective adoptive parents has been domiciled. Prospective adoptive parents shall submit a set of fingerprints to the sheriff or the office of state police.

(2) That the department conduct a records check for validated complaints of child abuse or neglect in this or any other state in which either of the prospective adoptive parents has been domiciled since becoming a major, involving either prospective adoptive parent.

F. Each order shall state the full name, date of birth, social security number, and former and current state of domicile since becoming a major of each prospective adoptive parent.

G. The sheriff or the office of state police, Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, and the department shall accord priority to these orders and shall provide a certificate indicating all information discovered or that no information has been found.

H. Failure to file within three days as required by Paragraph A of this Article shall not affect the final adoption.

Acts 1991, No. 235, §11, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 705, §1, eff. July 6, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 634, §1, eff. June 15, 1993; Acts 1999, No. 1062, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2000; Acts 2001, No. 567, §1; Acts 2003, No. 564, §1; Acts 2006, No. 421, §1; Acts 2008, No. 584, §1; Acts 2010, No. 192, §1; Acts 2018, No. 562, §1.