Sec. 1. 18-A MRSA §9-304, sub-§(a-1), as corrected by RR 2001, c. 1, §21, is amended to read:

(a-1) Upon the filing of a petition for adoption and prior to placement of a minor child, the court shall request a background check and shall direct the department or a licensed child-placing agency to conduct a study and make a report to the court.

(1) The study must include an investigation of the conditions and antecedents of the child to determine whether the child is a proper subject for adoption and whether the proposed home is suitable for the child. The department or licensed child-placing agency shall submit the report to the court within 60 days.

(i) If the court has a report that provides sufficient, current information, the court may waive the requirement of a study and report.

(ii) If the petitioner is a blood relative of the child, the court may waive the requirement of a study and report.

(2) The court shall request a background check for each prospective adoptive parent who is not the biological parent of the child. The background check must include a screening for child abuse cases in the records of the department and criminal history record information obtained from the Maine Criminal Justice Information System and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(i) The criminal history record information obtained from the Maine Criminal Justice Information System must include a record of Maine conviction data.

(ii) The criminal history record information obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation must include other state and national criminal history record information.

(iii) Each prospective parent who is not the biological parent of the child shall submit to having fingerprints taken. The State Police, upon receipt of the fingerprint card, may charge the court for the expenses incurred in processing state and national criminal history record checks. The State Police shall take or cause to be taken the applicant's fingerprints