Florida lawmakers moved a bill forward Tuesday that would make it illegal for a parent to go through an informal adoption without court supervision. It’s in response to a Reuters investigation that found people who adopted children from overseas sometimes put those same kids up for adoption through online posts. Hollywood Democratic Senator Eleanor Sobel is the main sponsor of the bill.
“It’s just like putting kids up for sale, but there’s really no monetary exchange…I think it’s a form of human trafficking for children, and it needs to be stopped,” said Sobel.
All nine members of the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee voted Tuesday to let the proposal become a fully-sponsored committee bill. It now heads to the Senate President, who’ll decide in which other committees the measure should be heard. If the bill becomes law, Florida would be the 30th state to regulate how children can be advertised for adoption.
For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on twitter @SaschaCordner.
