Fam. Code, § 8817 · Chapter 3. Independent Adoptions
Fam. Code, § 8817
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) A written report on the child’s medical background, and if available, the medical background of the child’s biological parents so far as ascertainable, shall be made by the department or delegated county adoption agency as part of the study required by Section 8806.
(b) The report on the child’s background shall contain all known diagnostic information, including current medical reports on the child, psychological evaluations, and scholastic information, as well as all known information regarding the child’s developmental history and family life.
(c) The report shall be submitted to the prospective adoptive parents who shall acknowledge its receipt in writing.
(d) (1) The biological parents may provide a blood sample at a clinic or hospital approved by the State Department of Health Services. The biological parents’ failure to provide a blood sample shall not affect the adoption of the child.
(2) The blood sample shall be stored at a laboratory under contract with the State Department of Health Services for a period of 30 years following the adoption of the child.
(3) The purpose of the stored sample of blood is to provide a blood sample from which DNA testing can be done at a later date after entry of the order of adoption at the request of the adoptive parents or the adopted child. The cost of drawing and storing the blood samples shall be paid for by a separate fee in addition to the fee required under Section 8810. The amount of this additional fee shall be based on the cost of drawing and storing the blood samples but at no time shall the additional fee be more than one hundred dollars ($100).
(e) (1) The blood sample shall be stored and released in such a manner as to not identify any party to the adoption.
(2) Any results of the DNA testing shall be stored and released in such a manner as to not identify any party to the adoption.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1053, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=FAM§ionNum=8817.
- Text hash
- sha256 b68998b4bc0fa73e9e0f1f2e5f7ceb3b31e84fdc686de5f7e8e7c01d15aff63a
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Cited by 5 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Fam. Code, § 8817. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Family Code
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.