Tennessee § 36-1-129 - Procedures for filing contact veto or giving consent.

§ 36-1-129. Procedures for filing contact veto or giving consent.

A person eligible to file a contact veto or give consent for further contact may notify the department in writing on a form supplied by the department that such person does or does not object to contact being made with such person by any person or group of persons who are eligible to establish contact. The department shall supply the necessary form upon request of any persons eligible to have their names entered on the registry. A contact veto is not effectively filed or consent properly given unless the person provides the department with satisfactory proof of such person's identity and completes and files with the department a form from the department containing the relevant information in § 36-1-128(c) and pays any necessary fees. As part of the surrender under § 36-1-111 or as part of a parental consent, a biological parent or guardian shall indicate in the appropriate place on the surrender or parental consent document whether or not such person wishes to file a contact veto or give consent for further contact, and shall complete the information requirements for registration on the contact veto registry on a form supplied by the department containing the relevant information in § 36-1-128(c). A contact veto is not effectively filed or consent properly given unless the person surrendering or giving a parental consent completes such form at the time of the surrender or parental consent or properly files the form with the department at a later time; provided, that no fee for filing a contact veto or consent to contact shall be required if the veto or consent is completed at the time of the surrender or parental consent. If, for any reason, the person failed to complete a consent for contact or a veto at the time of the surrender or parental consent, the person may do so at a later time after compliance with all provisions for filing, including the payment of all necessary fees. By filing a contact veto that complies with the requirements of this section, a person is entitled to notification of any inquiry requesting contact with the filing person. Forms for filing consents for contact or for filing contact vetoes shall be made available by the department in the offices of the clerks of courts with adoption jurisdiction and in the department's state office and county offices. Acts 1995, ch. 532, §§ 1, 19; 1996, ch. 1054, §§ 97, 115. Compiler's Notes. Former subsection (e) was deleted by the code commission as obsolete in 2001. Former § 36-1-129 , concerning keeping of records under seal, was transferred to § 36-1-126 . Law Reviews. Adoption and Custody: Current Trends in Tennessee Family Law: Tennessee's New Adoption Contact Veto is Cold Comfort to Birth Parents, 27 U. Mem. L. Rev. 843 (1997). Siblings in Law (Jill Elaine Hasday), 65 Vand. L. Rev. 897 (2012).