Chapter 48

48.99(12)(a) (a) Oversight.

48.99(12)(a)1. 1. The interstate commission shall oversee the administration and operations of the compact.

48.99(12)(a)2. 2. The executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government in each member state shall enforce this compact and the rules of the interstate commission and shall take all actions that are necessary and appropriate to effectuate the purposes and intent of the compact. The compact and its rules shall be binding in the compacting states to the extent and in the manner provided for in this compact.

48.99(12)(a)3. 3. All courts shall take judicial notice of the compact and the rules in any judicial or administrative proceeding in a member state pertaining to the subject matter of the compact.

48.99(12)(a)4. 4. The interstate commission shall be entitled to receive service of process in any action in which the validity of a compact provision or rule is the issue for which a judicial determination has been sought and shall have standing to intervene in the action. Failure to provide service of process to the interstate commission shall render any judgment, order, or other determination, however captioned or classified, void as to the interstate commission, this compact, or the bylaws or rules of the interstate commission.

48.99(12)(b) (b) Dispute resolution.

48.99(12)(b)1. 1. The interstate commission shall attempt, upon the request of a member state, to resolve any dispute that is subject to the compact and that may arise among member states or between member states and nonmember states.

48.99(12)(b)2. 2. The interstate commission shall promulgate a rule providing for both mediation and binding dispute resolution for disputes among compacting states. The costs of that mediation or dispute resolution shall be the responsibility of the parties to the dispute.

48.99(12)(c) (c) Enforcement.

48.99(12)(c)1. 1. If the interstate commission determines that a member state has defaulted in the performance of its obligations or responsibilities under this compact or the bylaws or rules of the interstate commission, the interstate commission may do any of the following:

48.99(12)(c)1.a. a. Provide remedial training and specific technical assistance.

48.99(12)(c)1.b. b. Provide written notice to the defaulting state and other member states of the nature of the default and the means of curing the default. The interstate commission shall specify the conditions by which the defaulting state must cure its default.

48.99(12)(c)1.c. c. By a majority vote of the members, initiate against a defaulting member state legal action in the U.S. district court for the District of Columbia or, at the discretion of the interstate commission, in the federal district court for the district in which the interstate commission has its principal office, to enforce compliance with the compact, the bylaws, or the rules. The relief sought may include both injunctive relief and damages. If judicial enforcement is necessary, the prevailing party shall be awarded all costs of the litigation including reasonable attorney fees.

48.99(12)(c)1.d. d. Avail itself of any other remedies available under state law or the regulation of official or professional conduct.

48.99(13) (13) Article XIII — Financing of the Interstate Commission.

48.99(13)(a) (a) The interstate commission shall pay or provide for the payment of the reasonable expenses of its establishment, organization, and ongoing activities.

48.99(13)(b) (b) The interstate commission may levy on and collect an annual assessment from each member state to cover the cost of the operations and activities of the interstate commission and its staff. The aggregate amount of the annual assessment shall be in an amount that is sufficient to cover the annual budget of the interstate commission, as approved by its members each year, and shall be allocated based upon a formula to be determined by the interstate commission, which shall promulgate a rule binding upon all member states.

48.99(13)(c) (c) The interstate commission may not incur obligations of any kind before securing funds adequate to meet those obligations; nor may the interstate commission pledge the credit of any member state, except by and with the authority of the member state.

48.99(13)(d) (d) The interstate commission shall keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements. The receipts and disbursements of the interstate commission shall be subject to the audit and accounting procedures established under its bylaws. All receipts and disbursements of funds handled by the interstate commission shall be audited yearly by a certified or licensed public accountant, and the report of the audit shall be included in and become a part of the annual report of the interstate commission.

48.99(14) (14) Article XIV — Member States, Effective Date, and Amendment.

48.99(14)(a) (a) Any state is eligible to become a member state.

48.99(14)(b) (b) The compact shall become effective and binding upon legislative enactment of the compact into law by no less than 35 of the states. The initial effective date shall be July 1, 2007, or upon enactment of the compact into law by the 35th state, whichever is later. After that initial effective date, the compact shall become effective and binding as to any other member state upon enactment of the compact into law by that member state. The executive heads of the state human services administrations with ultimate responsibility for the child welfare programs of nonmember states or their designees shall be invited to participate in the activities of the interstate commission on a nonvoting basis before adoption of the compact by all states.

48.99 Note NOTE: According to the website of the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, as of August 15, 2018, 12 states had enacted the compact.

48.99(14)(c) (c) The interstate commission may propose amendments to the compact for enactment by the member states. An amendment does not become effective and binding on the member states until the amendment is enacted into law by unanimous consent of the member states.

48.99(15) (15) Article XV — Withdrawal and Dissolution.

48.99(15)(a) (a) Withdrawal.

48.99(15)(a)1. 1. Once effective, the compact shall continue in force and remain binding upon each member state, except that a member state may withdraw from the compact by specifically repealing the statute that enacted the compact into law in that state.

48.99(15)(a)2. 2. Withdrawal from this compact by a member state shall be by the enactment of legislation repealing the statute that enacted the compact into law in that member state. The effective date of a withdrawal by a member state shall be the effective date of the repeal of that statute.

48.99(15)(a)3. 3. A withdrawing state shall immediately notify the president of the interstate commission in writing upon the introduction of legislation repealing the compact in the withdrawing state. The interstate commission shall then notify the other member states of the withdrawing state’s intent to withdraw.

48.99(15)(a)4. 4. A withdrawing state is responsible for all assessments, obligations, and liabilities incurred to the effective date of the withdrawal.

48.99(15)(a)5. 5. Reinstatement in the compact following the withdrawal of a member state shall occur upon the withdrawing state reenacting the compact or upon such later date as determined by the members of the interstate commission.

48.99(15)(b) (b) Dissolution of compact.

48.99(15)(b)1. 1. This compact shall dissolve upon the effective date of a withdrawal or default of a member state that reduces the membership in the compact to one member state.

48.99(15)(b)2. 2. Upon dissolution of this compact, the compact becomes void and shall be of no further force or effect, the business and affairs of the interstate commission shall be concluded, and any surplus funds shall be distributed in accordance with the bylaws.

48.99(16) (16) Article XVI — Severability and Construction.

48.99(16)(a) (a) The provisions of this compact shall be severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions of the compact shall be enforceable.

48.99(16)(b) (b) The provisions of this compact shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes.

48.99(16)(c) (c) Nothing in this compact shall be construed to prohibit the concurrent applicability of other interstate compacts to which the states are members.

48.99(17) (17) Article XVII — Binding Effect of Compact and Other Laws.

48.99(17)(a) (a) Other laws. This compact does not prevent the enforcement of any other law of a member state that is not inconsistent with this compact.

48.99(17)(b) (b) Binding effect of compact.

48.99(17)(b)1. 1. All lawful actions of the interstate commission, including all rules and bylaws promulgated by the interstate commission, are binding upon the member states.

48.99(17)(b)2. 2. All agreements between the interstate commission and the member states are binding in accordance with their terms.

48.99(17)(b)3. 3. If a provision of this compact exceeds the constitutional limits imposed on the legislature of any member state, that provision shall be ineffective in that member state to the extent of the conflict with the constitutional provision in question.

48.99(18) (18) Article XVIII — Indian Tribes. Notwithstanding any other provision in this compact, the interstate commission may promulgate guidelines to permit Indian tribes to use the compact to achieve any of the purposes of the compact as specified in sub. (1). The interstate commission shall make reasonable efforts to consult with Indian tribes in promulgating guidelines to reflect the diverse circumstances of the various Indian tribes.

48.99 History History: 2009 a. 339.

48.9985 48.9985 Interstate adoption agreements.

48.9985(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

48.9985(1)(a) (a) “Adoption assistance agreement” means an agreement under s. 48.975 with a child’s adoptive parents to provide specified benefits, including medical assistance, to the child, or a similar agreement in writing between an agency of another state and the adoptive parents of a child adopted in that state, if the agreement is enforceable by the adoptive parents.

48.9985(1)(b) (b) “Medical assistance” has the meaning given under s. 49.43 (8).

48.9985(1)(c) (c) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or a territory or possession of the United States.

48.9985(2) (2) Interstate agreements authorized.

48.9985(2)(a) (a) The department may, on behalf of this state, enter into interstate agreements, including the interstate compact on adoption and medical assistance, with agencies of any other states that enter into adoption assistance agreements.

48.9985(2)(b) (b) Each interstate agreement shall provide that, upon application by a person who has entered into an adoption assistance agreement with a party state other than the person’s state of residence, the state of the person’s residence shall provide medical assistance benefits under its own laws to the person’s adopted child.

48.9985(2)(c) (c) An interstate agreement may also include the following:

48.9985(2)(c)1. 1. Procedures for ensuring the continued provision of developmental, child care and other social services to adopted children whose adoptive parents reside in a party state other than the one in which the adoption assistance agreement was entered into.

48.9985(2)(c)2. 2. Any other provisions determined by the department and the agency of the other party state to be appropriate for the administration of the interstate agreement.

48.9985(2)(d) (d) An interstate agreement is revocable upon written notice by either party state to the other party state but remains in effect for one year after the date of the written notice.

48.9985(2)(e) (e) Each interstate agreement shall provide that the medical assistance benefits to which a child is entitled under the provisions of the interstate agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the adoption assistance agreement entered into by the adoptive parents in the state in which the adoption took place, whether or not the interstate agreement is revoked under par. (d).

48.9985 History History: 1985 a. 308, 332.

48.999 48.999 Expediting interstate placements of children. The courts of this state shall do all of the following to expedite the interstate placement of children:

48.999(1) (1) Subject to ss. 48.396 (2) and 938.396 (2), cooperate with the courts of other states in the sharing of information.

48.999(2) (2) To the greatest extent possible, obtain information and testimony from agencies and parties located in other states without requiring interstate travel by those agencies and parties.

48.999(3) (3) Permit parents, children, other necessary parties, attorneys, and guardians ad litem in proceedings involving the interstate placement of a child to participate in those proceedings without requiring interstate travel by those persons.

48.999 History History: 2009 a. 79.