Governor Brewer Tuesday signed SB 1128, a bill sponsored by Senator Sylvia Allen that should speed certain adoptions for Arizona families.

In Arizona, the courts are required to conduct a home study to determine if a particular adoption is in the best interests of the child. This new law now requires that the home study consists only of a criminal records check and a central registry records check if the prospective adoptive parent is the child’s step-parent or the adult sibling, aunt, uncle or grandparent.

“I am so grateful that Governor Brewer signed SB 1128, the family adoption bill. This will allow families to be able to adopt close relatives without spending thousands of dollars. For many families, those costs mean the family adoptions don’t happen,” says Senator Allen. SB 1128 also shortens the time required for the prospective adoptive parent to have lived with the child, from one year to six months.