(b) The petitioner shall file with the court, not less than 10 days before the hearing on the petition, a report of the assessment and, if necessary, confirmation or clarification of the information filed under K.S.A. 59-2130, and amendments thereto.
(c) If there is no licensed social worker or licensed child-placing agency available to make the assessment and report to the court, the court may use the department of social and rehabilitation services for that purpose.
(d) The costs of making the assessment and report may be assessed as court costs in the case as provided in article 20 of chapter 60 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated and amendments thereto.
(e) In making the assessment, the social worker, child-placing agency or department of social and rehabilitation services is authorized to observe the child in the petitioner's home, verify financial information of the petitioner, shall clear the name of the petitioner with the child abuse and neglect registry through the department of social and rehabilitation services and, when appropriate, with a similar registry in another state or nation, shall determine whether the petitioner has been convicted of a felony for any act described in articles 34, 35 or 36 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, or, within the last five years been convicted of a felony violation of the uniform controlled substances act, K.S.A. 65-4101 et seq. and amendments thereto and, when appropriate, any similar conviction in another jurisdiction, and to contact the agency or individuals consenting to the adoption and confirm and, if necessary, clarify any genetic and medical history filed with the petition. This information shall be made a part of the report to the court. The report to the court by the social worker, child-placing agency or department of social and rehabilitation services shall include the results of the investigation of the petitioner, the petitioner's home and the ability of the petitioner to care for the child.
(f) In the case of a nonresident who is filing a petition to adopt a child in Kansas, the assessment and report required by this section must be completed in the petitioner's state of residence by a licensed social worker, a licensed child-placing agency or a comparable entity in that state and filed with the court not less than 10 days before the hearing on the petition.
(g) The assessment and report required by this section must have been completed not more than one year prior to the filing of the petition for adoption.
(h) The assessment and report required by this section may be waived by the court upon: (1) Review of a petition requesting such waiver by a relative of the child; or
(2) the court's own motion.
History: L. 1990, ch. 145, § 22; L. 1993, ch. 126, § 1; L. 1998, ch. 139, § 10; L. 2006, ch. 21, § 1; July 1.