Section 600.14A. Standby adoption.

  1.  As used in this section:

  a.  “Standby adoption” means an adoption in which a terminally ill parent consents to termination of parental rights and the issuance of a final adoption decree effective upon the occurrence of a future event, which is either the death of the terminally ill parent or the request of the parent for the issuance of a final adoption decree.

  b.  “Terminally ill parent” means an individual who has a medical prognosis by a licensed physician that the individual has an incurable and irreversible condition which will lead to death.

  2.  A terminally ill parent may consent to termination of parental rights and adoption of a child under a standby adoption if the other parent of the child is not living or the other parent has previously had the parent’s parental rights terminated.

  3.  A person who meets the qualifications to file an adoption petition pursuant to section 600.4 may file a petition for standby adoption. A standby adoption shall comply with the requirements of sections 600.7 through 600.12. However, the court may order that the completion of placement investigations and reports be expedited based on the circumstances of a particular case. The court may waive the minimum residence period requirement pursuant to section 600.10 to expedite the standby adoption if necessary.

  4.  If a consent to a standby adoption is attached to an adoption petition pursuant to section 600.6, the court determines that the requirements of this chapter relative to a standby adoption are met, and the court determines that the standby adoption is in the best interest of the child to be adopted, the court shall issue a standby adoption decree or a final adoption decree. However, the terminally ill parent’s parental rights shall not be terminated and the standby adoption shall not be finalized until the death of the terminally ill parent or the request of the terminally ill parent for issuance of the final adoption decree.

  5.  A standby adoption decree shall become final upon notice of the death of the terminally ill parent or upon the terminally ill parent’s request that a final adoption decree be issued. If the court determines at the time of the notice or request that the standby adoption is still in the best interest of the child, the court shall issue a final adoption decree.

2001 Acts, ch 57, §5