Texas is taking a close look at adoption, thanks to the leadership of Gov. George W. Bush. One of the steps Gov. Bush has taken to assist him is to establish a Committee of thirteen individuals to help him. One of the Committee of thirteen individuals to help him. One of the Committee members is Ruby Lee Piester, former head of The Edna Gladney Home, who is currently an active volunteer with Aid to the Adoption of Special Kids (AASK)/ Texas.

The focus comes at a time when a leading Texas legislator, Rep. Toby Goodman, who is Chairman of the Texas House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues, is also looking at the adoption scene in Texas to determine what sorts of changes might be helpful.

Gov. Bush's Committee is charged with completing its work and presenting its final recommendations in time for bill-drafting before the session of the legislature next year.

Rep. Goodman told NCFA's Bill Pierce that he is considering a number of ideas and approaches to help adoption in Texas.

First, he may suggest putting some kind of putative fathers registry in place, such as exists in more than a dozen states.

Second, there has been heavy lobbying from anti-adoption and open records advocates, including a group with the misleading name of "TxCARE" (Texas Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education, promoted mainly by Bill Betzen, a social worker who formerly worked for Dallas Catholic Charities). Rep. Goodman said that despite the lobbying and the flood of faxes and phone calls to his office, he does not support opening adoption records retroactively or prospectively.

Third, he wants to look at when a birth mother's signature of relinquishment papers should be final.

Fourth, he may examine the charges being made by some of the anti-adoption advocates that "too many babies are going outside Texas." (The claim is that adoption out of state frustrates those who are promoting ongoing contact between biological parents and adoptive parents.)

Fifth, he wants to find ways to strengthen licensing oversight of agencies.

Sixth, he may look at "baby-wanted" advertising.

No one is certain what the interaction may be, once the legislature convenes, between the activities of Gov. Bush and his Committee and the hearings and other work which has been done by Rep. Goodman. But with the interest of such key people as the Governor and Chairman Goodman, prospects look good. Texas has had a good track record on adoption legislation. For instance, in the last legislation session, Texas put in place one of the best laws in the country banning discrimination in adoption based on race or ethnicity.

© National Council for Adoption