Authorizes voluntary post-adoption contact agreements.
New Jersey's S 4296 allows adoptive parents to create legally enforceable agreements with birth relatives (such as birth parents or other family members) for ongoing contact, visitation, or information sharing after an adoption is finalized. The bill requires these voluntary agreements to be submitted to a court, which must approve them only if entered into knowingly, voluntarily, and in the child's best interests - considering the child's age and preference if capable. If approved, the court issues a separate order enforceable in family court, but failure to follow the agreement cannot void the adoption. This changes current law, which provides no legal mechanism for enforceable post-adoption contact, affecting adoptive families, birth relatives, and children involved in adoptions where such agreements are consented to.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 24, 2025
Last action Mar 24, 2025
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Mar 24, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Joe Vitale
DDemocratic
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