§ 15-7.2-1. Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Adoptee� means a person who has been adopted in the state of Rhode Island.
(2) "Adoption� means the judicial act of creating the relationship of parent and child
where it did not exist previously.
(3) "Adoptive parent� means an adult who has become a parent of a child through adoption.
(4) "Adult� means a person twenty-one (21) years of age or older.
(5) "Agency� means any public or private organization licensed or authorized under the
laws of this state to place children for adoption.
(6) "Birth parent� is:
(i) The person who is legally presumed under the laws of this state to be the father or
mother of genetic origin of a child; and
(ii) A putative father of the child if the birth mother alleges he is the father and the
putative father, by written affidavit at any time or by surrender and release executed
within one year of the relinquishment of the child by the birth mother or termination
of parental rights of the birth mother, acknowledges being the child's biological
father.
(7) "Court� is family court seating in Providence county.
(8) "Genetic and social history� is a comprehensive report, when obtainable, on the birth
parents, siblings to the birth parents, if any, other children of either birth parent,
if any, and parents of the birth parents, and contains so much of the following information
that is available:
(i) Medical history;
(ii) Health status;
(iii) Cause of and age at death;
(iv) Height, weight, eye and hair color;
(v) Ethnic origins; and
(vi) Religion, if any.
(9) "Health history� is a comprehensive report, when obtainable, of the child's health
status and medical history at the time of placement for adoption, including neonatal,
psychological, developmental, physiological, and medical care history.
(10) "Passive voluntary adoption reunion registry� is a registry, which is not authorized
to seek registrants out but is authorized only to accept voluntary registration from
eligible parties as designated in this chapter.
(11) "Putative father� is a man who, under the laws of this state, is not legally presumed
to be the father of genetic origin of a child, but who claims or is alleged to be
the father of genetic origin of the child.
(12) "Registry� is a passive voluntary adoption reunion registry as established under this
chapter.
(13) "Relevant parties� are only those parties eligible to register and to use a registry
pursuant to § 15-7.2-7.
(14) "Successor agency� is an agency which has the adoption records of another agency because
of the merger of the agency and the successor agency or because a former agency has
ceased doing business and has given its adoption records to the successor agency as
provided in this chapter.