CHAPTER 1

RULES OF PROCEDURE

Section 1.                Name. The name of this organization shall be the ADOPTION INTERMEDIARY COMMISSION. The Commission is established by W.S. 1-22-201 through 1-22-203 (1991).

Section 2.                Purpose.

(a)              Establish a confidential process whereby adult adoptees and adoptive parents who desire information concerning their or their adult child's adoption, and adult biological grandparents, biological parents and biological adult siblings who desire information concerning an adult adoptee may pursue access to such information; and

(b)              Create a pool of the individuals whom the courts and interested parties may call upon to initiate a search for a biological relative.

Section 3.                Membership Requirements.

(a)              If any member of the Commission has three consecutive unexcused absences, it will be assumed that he/she wishes to terminate his/her membership. Further, a Commission member may submit a letter of resignation requesting termination of his/her term to the appropriate appointing authority, either to the Chief Justice or the Director of the Department of Family Services. The necessary procedures to obtain a replacement shall be instituted following three consecutive unexcused absences or following receipt of a letter of resignation.

(b)              The Chief Justice and the Director of the Department of Family Services have and retain the right to make any changes in the membership of the Commission, regardless of the attendance record of the member involved.

(c)              Appointments shall be for an indefinite term and the members shall serve at the pleasure of the Chief Justice and the Director of the Department of Family Services.

Section 4.                Officers. The officers of this organization shall be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and any such other officers as it deems necessary.

Section 5.                Election. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and any other officers as deemed necessary, shall be selected by the Commission annually at the first meeting of the year.

Section 6.                Meetings. 

(a)              The Commission shall meet as often as necessary to carry out its duties, but in no instance shall it meet less than semi-annually.

(b)              Special meetings may be called by the Chairman or shall be called upon the request of three-fifths of the membership.

(c)              A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum of any meeting of the Commission.

(d)              The first meeting of each year shall be known as the Annual Meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing officers or for any other business that may arise.

Section 7.                Committees

(a)              The Commission shall create as many committees as are necessary to carry on the work of the organization.

(b)              Chairpersons of the committees must be members of the Commission, however, the balance of membership of these committees may include persons who are not members of the Commission. Chairpersons who augment their committees with non-members shall do so with the approval of the Commission.

Section 8.                Removal of Confidential Intermediaries

(a)              Any person, including a member of the Commission, may file a written complaint relating to the conduct of a Confidential Intermediary to the Commission.

(b)              Within twenty (20) days of receiving the complaint, the Commission shall provide written notice to the Confidential Intermediary by certified mail of the nature of the complaint.

(c)              A Confidential Intermediary may be removed from the Confidential Intermediary list by a majority vote of the Commissioners.

(d)              Prior to the Commissions voting on removal of a Confidential Intermediary, the Confidential Intermediary shall have an opportunity to be heard by the Commissioners.

(e)              A Confidential Intermediary may be removed from the list available to the judicial branch under any of the following conditions, which include but are not limited to: not complying with the training requirements, breach of confidentiality, failure to maintain contact with the petitioner, providing false information on the application to be a Confidential Intermediary, failure to work in a timely manner on cases, failure to properly document their activities on cases, failure to act within the bounds of the law, accepting appointment on a case involving a relative, friend, business associate or other individual that would constitute a conflict of interest and failure to comply with Adoption Intermediary Commission policies.

(f)               If a Confidential Intermediary is removed from the Confidential Intermediary list, the Confidential Intermediary is obligated to return all unfinished files, the fees from those files, and unspent expense money to the Commission within thirty (30) days of removal.

Section 9.                Parliamentary Authority.   The rules contained in "Robert's Rules of Order, Revised", as of July 1, 2023, shall govern this Commission and to all cases to which they are applicable.

Section 10.           Amendment to Rules of Procedure.   The adopted Rules may be revised if at any regular meeting of the Commission, there is a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the current Commission membership that calls for the rules to be amended.

Section 11.           Effective Date.   These Rules of Procedure shall be effective upon filing with the Secretary of State for the State of Wyoming.