The House Courts & Criminal Code Committee heard Rep. Olthoff’s HB 1513 on crimes involving adoption. The bill amends the definition of “advertisement” concerning unauthorized adoption advertising to include communications by any medium; increases, from $3,000 to $4,000, the allowable payment for certain costs and expenses with respect to an adoption. The bill also makes adoption deception and unauthorized adoption advertising a Level 6 felony (instead of a Class A misdemeanor).
An amendment removing increases in other adoption criminal penalties was adopted by consent. An owner of an Indiana adoption agency and an adoption attorney testified in support of the bill. The amended bill passed 11-0.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/house/1513