Introducing the Uniform Adoption Act

Before analyzing some of the highlights of the Uniform Adoption Act, I feel a brief explanation of the National Conference of Commis sioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) may be helpfiil. NCCUSL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization composed of approximately 300 commissioners from each state, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The governor of each state appoints lawyers, judges, law profes sors, and legislators as commissioners. NCCUSL, considered a state organization, derives the major portion of its financial support from state appropriations. Individual commissioners receive no salary or compensation. Its purpose is to promote uniformity in state laws on all subjects where uniformity is desirable and practicable.1 The Uniform Adoption Act (UAA) is NCCUSL's third attempt to attain uniformity in state adoption laws. A 1953 Act went nowhere. A "revised" Uniform Adoption Act in 1971 was adopted in only eight states. Responding to the perceived need for change in state adoption laws, the American Bar Association's Family Law Section adopted a Model State Adoption Act proposed by its Adoption Committee, but it was not approved by the ABA House of Delegates. In March 1989, NCCUSL commissioners formed a study committee to revisit the adop tion issue. The committee strongly recommended that a drafting com