Senate approves bill to exempt grandparents from adoption costs

The state Senate on today unanimously approved legislation that would exempt an adoptive grandparent from any court costs associated with adoption.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, author of Senate Bill 254, said the measure would help provide healthy environments for children by removing another impediment for grandparents seeking to care for their grandchildren.

“With divorce rates being as high as they are, it’s now more important than ever that our children have good homes,” said Corn, D-Poteau.  “Grandparents seeking to provide love and guidance to their grandchildren should be able to do so without excessive costs.  This measure would ensure that grandparents are not deterred by punitive fees.” SB 254 would also waive pre-placement home study requirements in certain adoptive cases if the petitioning grandparent has no record of felony convictions, domestic violence or protective orders. 

“The family is the foundation of our society, and it’s important that the Legislature do everything in its power to guarantee that children grow up in loving homes,” Corn said.  “I’m pleased the Senate was able to come together on this issue and unanimously pass the bill.”

Senator Corn was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 2002 at the age of twenty-five making him the second youngest state senator in state’s history and the current youngest serving senator.  Prior to his election to the senate, Corn served two terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.  He was elected to the House at the age of twenty-two which made him one of the youngest Oklahomans to serve in state’s history.

Corn has had the distinction of serving on the leadership teams in both chambers of the legislature.  In the House, Corn served as the Democratic Caucus Secretary and he currently serves as the Democratic Caucus Chairman in the State Senate.  Corn was appointed as the first freshman lawmaker in thirty years to the vice-chair of a major committee in 1998, which was Revenue and Taxation.  He later served as the chair of the Tourism and Recreation Committee in his last term in the House.  Corn was tapped as the Chair of the Retirement and Group Health Committee in his first two years in the Senate overseeing billions of dollars in assets.  He also serves as one of the state’s Pension Commissioners that has jurisdiction over all of the state’s retirement systems.