Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 68 Part 1.djvu/280

 248

D. C. Code 3 2 783. D. C. Code 32786.

Service charges. Restrictions.

D. C. Code 32783. Effective date.

PUBLIC LAW 3 9 3 - J U N E 8, 1954

[68

STAT.

nonresident children in foster or adopting homes in the District of Columbia. The Commissioners shall act pursuant to regulations promulgated as provided in section 3 of this Act." SEC, 5. (a) Section 6 of such Act is amended by striking out the second sentence thereof and inserting in lieu thereof the following new sentence: "Minority of a natural parent shall not be a bar to such parent's relinquishment to a licensed agency. Any relinquishment of parental rights other than by court order as provided above, may be revoked upon the written consent of all the parties to said relinquishment and any such relinquishment may be transferred from one licensed child-placing agency to another licensed child-placing agency, in which case the second agency shall assume all the rights and duties of the first agency. For the purposes of this section, 'licensed child-placing agency' shall mean any child-placing agency licensed pursuant to this Act or any child-placing agency licensed or authorized by another State or country for the care and placement of minors. Such transfer or relinquishment shall be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, as hereinafter provided in this section." (b) Section 6 of such Act is further amended by inserting " (a) " after "SEC. 6." and by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: "(b) The Commissioners or their designated agents are empowered to accept permanent care and guardianship of any child by a legally executed relinquishment of parental rights and when vested with such parental rights shall exercise them in the same manner as prescribed herein for a licensed child-placing agency. Such parental relinquishment taken by the Commissioners or their designated agents shall be subject to the same rights and requirements as to form, transfer, and disposition as are prescribed herein for a licensed child-placing agency." SEC. 6. Such Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section: "SEC. 12. Neither the Commissioners nor any child-placing agency authorized to perform services in connection with placing a child in a family home for adoption may make or receive any charge or compensation whatsoever for such services, except that a licensed childplacing agency which is organized and operated exclusively for religious or charitable purposes and no part of the net earnings of which can inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, may be allowed to charge adoptive parents, within prescribed limits, for such services an amount not to exceed the average costs incurred; such average costs and prescribed limits to be determined in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the committee created by section 3. Inability of adoptive applicants to pay for all or any part of such costs shall not be a disqualifying factor in determining whether applicants are suitable parents for the child." SEC. 7. The amendments made by this Act shall take effect four months after the date of its enactment, except that the amendment made by the first section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. Approved June 8, 1954.

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