SB 1751

Present law generally requires prospective adoptive parents to contact a licensed child-placing agency, or a licensed clinical social worker, and request a home study concerning the suitability of their home and themselves as an adoptive parent. However , the court may waive this requirement when the adoptive parents are related persons. This bill expands the exception by allowing the court to also waive the home study requirement when a child has lived in the home of the prospective adoptive parents fo r at least six months. Present law generally prohibits the court from entering a final order of adoption until a home study has been filed with the court and before the petition has been on file for at least six months. However, when the child is related to the prospective ad optive parents, there is no such requirement for a home study or waiting period. This bill expands the exception by waiving the home study and waiting period requirements when a child has lived in the home of the prospective adoptive parents for at least s ix months, if the court has received the final court report concerning the circumstances of the child and is satisfied that the adoption is in the best interest of the child. ON APRIL 8, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1692, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, clarify that a court is authorized to waive the requirement for a home study in an adoption when the prospective adoptive parent or parents are not related to the child if all of the following requirements are met:  The child has resided in the home of the prospective adoptive parent or parents for at least 12 months .  The prospective adoptive parent or parents were granted custody of the child pursuant to a final order entered by a court of competent jurisdiction following a full adjudication on the merits .  The petition to waive the home study includes a current criminal history background check conducted through the Tennessee bureau of investigation and a current search of the Tennessee sexual offender and violent sexual offender registry. This amendment requires t he court t o enter a written order making specific findings to support a determination that waiving the home study is in the best interest of the child. Additionally, this amendment does not require a court to waive a home study. The decision to waive a home study remains within the sound discretion of the court.