UPDATE: I am doing a happy dance. My first thought and information was this second reading will have no impact. The bill cannot become law without the President's signature. But several Ukrainian sources were saying the President was going to sign the bill.

Turns out this was wishful thinking on their part. My first thought was correct. The President has NO plans to sign anything that comes out of this Parliament. If he does then it means his decree to dissolve Parliament become revoked/invalid.


Bill 2562 received a second reading on May 24, 2007. This bill does the following:

• If a man and women aren't married... and the man thinks he is the baby's father... he can now be registered as the father without further legal action


• Single "foreigner" adoption made illegal


• Oldest adoptive parent must be 45 years old or less than the child


• Adoptive parents must be 21 years or older unless the adopted child is a blood relative


• Ministers have 3 months after this bill becomes law to start enforcing it

It is hard to know what to think. President Yushchenko is trying to fire everyone, including Parliament. In order for this bill to become law Yushchenko must sign it. Then it must be published in Parliament's official newspaper.

Would President Yushchenko who "dismissed" Parliament (but they refused to be dismissed and kept working) really work with Parliament?

I have heard from 3 different Ukrainian sources that Yushchenko will sign the bill ... that he favors the bill ... And therefore bill 2562 will become a new law around June 7th or June 8th.

Most single women and men have stopped trying to adopt from Ukraine. But I am sure there are still a few. I know one woman who filed her dossier and is waiting for an appointment date.

I know a lot more older parents who will be impacted by this change. A family with a 50 and 42 year old, would be limited to adopting a child who is 5 years or older.

Personally I would wait and see what happens with this bill. June 8th will be here soon. But I would also start thinking about other options. Are you comfortable adopting an older child?

(Side note: I use Babylon 6 to translate Ukrainian to English. It isn't perfect. For example the Ukrainian to English dictionary doesn't have усиновлення (noun for adoption). But one of the free download dictionaries does have this work. Babylon lets me use dictionaries that are on the internet and dictionaries installed on my PC.)

Bill 2562

Draft Law on the introduction of variations up to several legal acts of Ukraine (relative to adoption)

Number, date registration: 2562 from November 16, 2006
Registration session: 2 session of V call
The individual of legislative initiative: The Ukraine people's deputy
Last status: Law is accepted May 24, 2007

Sponsors for draft law:

Tomenko Mykola Volodimirovich
Bondarenko Olena Fedorivna
Levchenko Katerina Borisivna

Political Committees:

Family, Sports and Tourism Committee
Health Care Committee
Legal Policy Committee
Budget Committee
European Agglomeration

Text draft law and accompanying documents:

Draft bill 14.11.2006
Submission 14.11.2006
Explanatory material 14.11.2006
Relative chart 14.11.2006

Draft Law Documents:

The conclusion of main scientific-expert department 01.02.2007
Chart of amendments to second reading 14.05.2007
Text draft law up to second reading 14.05.2007

Registration number
2562

Date Registration
February 8, 2007

Name of draft law
The ordinance project about acceptance of the law of Ukraine about the introduction of variations up to several legal acts of Ukraine (relative to adoption)

I got curious and dug up the voting record for this bill. Not a single politician voted no.

Позафракційні (don't know this party)

Yes: 6
No: 0
Did not vote: 1
Absent: 2

Party of Regions
(Prime Minister Yanukovych's party)

Yes: 170
No: 0
Did not vote: 12
Absent: 3

Bloc Yuliya Tymoshenko

Yes: 8
No: 0
Did not vote: 4
Absent: 113

Faction Bloc "Our Ukraine" (President Yushchenko's party)

Yes: 5
No: 0
Did not vote: 0
Absent: 72

Socialist Party of Ukraine

Yes: 28
No: 0
Did not vote: 1
Absent: 2

Communist Party of Ukraine

Yes: 21
No: 0
Did not vote: 0
Absent: 0