Wisconsin Code § 48.028

Indian child welfare
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(1) DECLARATION OF POLICY. In Indian child custody proceedings, the best interests of the
Indian child shall be determined in accordance with s. 48.01 (2).
(2) DEFINITIONS. In this section:
(a) “Adoptive placement” means the permanent placement of
an Indian child for adoption.
(am) “Extended family member” means a person who is defined as a member of an Indian child’s extended family by the law
or custom of the Indian child’s tribe or, in the absence of such a
law or custom, a person who has attained the age of 18 years and
who is the Indian child’s grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister,
brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, first cousin, 2nd
cousin, or stepparent.
(b) “Former Indian custodian” means a person who was the
Indian custodian of an Indian child before termination of parental
rights to and adoption of the Indian child.
(c) “Former parent” means a person who was the parent of an
Indian child before termination of parental rights to and adoption
of the Indian child.
(d) “Indian child custody proceeding” means a proceeding
governed by the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 USC 1901
to 1963, in which any of the following may occur:
1. An adoptive placement.
2. An out-of-home care placement.
3. A preadoptive placement.
4. A termination of parental rights, as defined in s. 48.40 (2)
to an Indian child.
5. A delegation of powers by a parent regarding the care and
custody of an Indian child for longer than one year under s.
48.979.
(e) “Out-of-home care placement” means the removal of an
Indian child from the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian for temporary placement in a foster home, group home, residential care center for children and youth, or shelter care facility,
in the home of a relative other than a parent, in the home of likekin, or in the home of a guardian, from which placement the parent or Indian custodian cannot have the child returned upon demand. “Out-of-home care placement” does not include an adoptive placement, a preadoptive placement, a delegation of powers,
as described in par. (d) 5., an emergency change in placement under s. 48.357 (2) (b), or holding an Indian child in custody under
ss. 48.19 to 48.21.
(f) “Preadoptive placement” means the temporary placement
of an Indian child in a foster home, group home, or residential
care center for children and youth, in the home of a relative other
than a parent, in the home of like-kin, or in the home of a
guardian after a termination of parental rights but prior to or in
lieu of an adoptive placement. “Preadoptive placement” does not
include an emergency change in placement under s. 48.437 (2).
(g) “Qualified expert witness” means a person who is any of
the following:
1. A member of the Indian child’s tribe recognized by the Indian child’s tribal community as knowledgeable regarding the
tribe’s customs relating to family organization or child-rearing
practices.
2. A member of another tribe who is knowledgeable regarding the customs of the Indian child’s tribe relating to family organization or child-rearing practices.
3. A professional person having substantial education and experience in the person’s professional specialty and having substantial knowledge of the customs, traditions, and values of the
Indian child’s tribe relating to family organization and child-rearing practices.
4. A layperson having substantial experience in the delivery
of child and family services to Indians and substantial knowledge
of the prevailing social and cultural standards and child-rearing
practices of the Indian child’s tribe.
(h) “Reservation” means Indian country, as defined in 18
USC 1151, or any land not covered under that section to which title is either held by the United States in trust for the benefit of an
Indian tribe or individual or held by an Indian tribe or individual,
subject to a restriction by the United States against alienation.
(3) JURISDICTION OVER I NDIAN CHILD CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS. (a) Applicability. This section and the federal Indian Child
Welfare Act, 25 USC 1901 to 1963, apply to any Indian child custody proceeding regardless of whether the Indian child is in the
legal custody or physical custody of an Indian parent, Indian custodian, extended family member, or other person at the commencement of the proceeding and whether the Indian child resides or is domiciled on or off of a reservation. A court assigned
to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter may not determine
whether this section and the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, 25
USC 1901 to 1963, apply to an Indian child custody proceeding
based on whether the Indian child is part of an existing Indian
family.
(b) Exclusive tribal jurisdiction. 1. An Indian tribe shall have
exclusive jurisdiction over any Indian child custody proceeding
involving an Indian child who resides or is domiciled within the
reservation of the tribe, except when that jurisdiction is otherwise
vested in the state by federal law and except as provided in subd.
2. If an Indian child is a ward of a tribal court, the Indian tribe
shall retain exclusive jurisdiction regardless of the residence or
domicile of the child.
2. Subdivision 1. does not prevent an Indian child who resides or is domiciled within a reservation, but who is temporarily
located off the reservation, from being taken into and held in custody under ss. 48.19 to 48.21 in order to prevent imminent physical harm or damage to the Indian child. The person taking the Indian child into custody or the intake worker shall immediately release the Indian child from custody upon determining that holding the Indian child in custody is no longer necessary to prevent
imminent physical damage or harm to the Indian child and shall
expeditiously restore the Indian child to his or her parent or Indian custodian, release the Indian child to an appropriate official
of the Indian child’s tribe, or initiate an Indian child custody proceeding, as may be appropriate.
(c) Transfer of proceedings to tribe. In any Indian child custody proceeding under this chapter involving an out-of-home
placement of, termination of parental rights to, or delegation of
powers, as described in sub. (2) (d) 5., regarding, an Indian child
who is not residing or domiciled within the reservation of the Indian child’s tribe, the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter shall, upon the petition of the Indian child’s parent, Indian custodian, or tribe, transfer the proceeding to the jurisdiction of the tribe unless any of the following applies:
1. A parent of the Indian child objects to the transfer.
2. The Indian child’s tribe does not have a tribal court, or the
tribal court of the Indian child’s tribe declines jurisdiction.
3. The court determines that good cause exists to deny the
transfer. In determining whether good cause exists to deny the
transfer, the court may not consider any perceived inadequacy of

the tribal social services department or the tribal court of the Indian child’s tribe. The court may determine that good cause exists to deny the transfer only if the person opposing the transfer
shows by clear and convincing evidence that any of the following
applies:
a. The Indian child is 12 years of age or over and objects to
the transfer.
b. The evidence or testimony necessary to decide the case
cannot be presented in tribal court without undue hardship to the
parties or the witnesses and that the tribal court is unable to mitigate the hardship by making arrangements to receive the evidence
or testimony by use of telephone or live audiovisual means, by
hearing the evidence or testimony at a location that is convenient
to the parties and witnesses, or by use of other means permissible
under the tribal court’s rules of evidence.
c. The Indian child’s tribe received notice of the proceeding
under sub. (4) (a), the tribe has not indicated to the court in writing that the tribe is monitoring the proceeding and may request a
transfer at a later date, the petition for transfer is filed by the tribe,
and the petition for transfer is filed more than 6 months after the
tribe received notice of the proceeding or, if the proceeding is a
termination of parental rights proceeding, more than 3 months after the tribe received notice of the proceeding.
(d) Declination of jurisdiction. If the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter determines that the petitioner
in an Indian child custody proceeding has improperly removed
the Indian child from the custody of his or her parent or Indian
custodian or has improperly retained custody of the Indian child
after a visit or other temporary relinquishment of custody, the
court shall decline jurisdiction over the petition and immediately
return the Indian child to the custody of the parent or Indian custodian, unless the court determines that returning the Indian child
to his or her parent or Indian custodian would subject the Indian
child to substantial and immediate danger or the threat of that
danger.
(e) Intervention. An Indian child’s Indian custodian or tribe
may intervene at any point in an Indian child custody proceeding
under this chapter involving an out-of-home care placement of,
termination of parental rights to, or delegation of powers, as described in sub. (2) (d) 5., regarding, the Indian child.
(f) Full faith and credit. The state shall give full faith and
credit to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of any
Indian tribe that are applicable to an Indian child custody proceeding to the same extent that the state gives full faith and credit
to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of any other
governmental entity.
(4) COURT PROCEEDINGS. (a) Notice. In any involuntary
proceeding involving the out-of-home care placement of, termination of parental rights to, or delegation of powers, as described
in sub. (2) (d) 5., regarding, a child whom the court knows or has
reason to know is an Indian child, the party seeking the out-ofhome care placement, termination of parental rights, or delegation of powers shall, for the first hearing of the proceeding, notify
the Indian child’s parent, Indian custodian, and tribe, by registered mail, return receipt requested, of the pending proceeding
and of their right to intervene in the proceeding and shall file the
return receipt with the court. Notice of subsequent hearings in a
proceeding shall be in writing and may be given by mail, personal
delivery, or facsimile transmission, but not by electronic mail. If
the identity or location of the Indian child’s parent, Indian custodian, or tribe cannot be determined, that notice shall be given to
the U.S. secretary of the interior in like manner. The first hearing
in the proceeding may not be held until at least 10 days after receipt of the notice by the parent, Indian custodian, and tribe or
until at least 15 days after receipt of the notice by the U.S. secretary of the interior. On request of the parent, Indian custodian, or
tribe, the court shall grant a continuance of up to 20 additional
days to enable the requester to prepare for that hearing.
(b) Appointment of counsel. Whenever an Indian child is the
subject of a proceeding involving the removal of the Indian child
from the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, placement
of the Indian child in an out-of-home care placement, or termination of parental rights to the Indian child, the Indian child’s parent or Indian custodian shall have the right to be represented by
court-appointed counsel as provided in s. 48.23 (2g). The court
may also, in its discretion, appoint counsel for the Indian child
under s. 48.23 (1m) or (3) if the court finds that the appointment
is in the best interests of the Indian child.
(c) Examination of reports and other documents. Each party
to a proceeding involving the out-of-home care placement of, termination of parental rights to, or return of custody under sub. (8)
(a) of an Indian child shall have the right to examine all reports or
other documents filed with the court upon which any decision
with respect to the out-of-home care placement, termination of
parental rights, or return of custody may be based.
(d) Out-of-home care placement; serious damage and active
efforts. The court may not order an Indian child to be removed
from the home of the Indian child’s parent or Indian custodian
and placed in an out-of-home care placement unless all of the following occur:
1. The court or jury finds by clear and convincing evidence,
including the testimony of one or more qualified expert witnesses
chosen in the order of preference listed in par. (f), that continued
custody of the Indian child by the parent or Indian custodian is
likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the
child.
2. The court or jury finds by clear and convincing evidence
that active efforts, as described in par. (g) 1., have been made to
provide remedial services and rehabilitation programs designed
to prevent the breakup of the Indian child’s family and that those
efforts have proved unsuccessful. The court or jury shall make
that finding notwithstanding that a circumstance specified in s.
48.355 (2d) (b) 1. to 5. applies.
(e) Involuntary termination of parental rights; serious damage and active efforts. The court may not order an involuntary
termination of parental rights to an Indian child unless all of the
following occur:
1. The court or jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt, including the testimony of one or more qualified expert witnesses chosen in the order of preference listed in par. (f), that the continued
custody of the Indian child by the parent or Indian custodian is
likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the
child.
2. The court or jury finds by clear and convincing evidence
that active efforts, as described in par. (g) 1., have been made to
provide remedial services and rehabilitation programs designed
to prevent the breakup of the Indian child’s family and that those
efforts have proved unsuccessful.
(f) Qualified expert witness; order of preference. 1. Any
party to a proceeding involving the out-of-home placement of, or
involuntary termination of parental rights to, an Indian child may
call a qualified expert witness. Subject to subd. 2., a qualified expert witness shall be chosen in the following order of preference:
a. A member of the Indian child’s tribe described in sub. (2)
(g) 1.
b. A member of another tribe described in sub. (2) (g) 2.
c. A professional person described in sub. (2) (g) 3.
d. A layperson described in sub. (2) (g) 4.
2. A qualified expert witness from a lower order of prefer-

ence may be chosen only if the party calling the qualified expert
witness shows that it has made a diligent effort to secure the attendance of a qualified expert witness from a higher order of preference. A qualified expert witness from a lower order of preference may not be chosen solely because a qualified expert witness
from a higher order of preference is able to participate in the Indian child custody proceeding only by telephone or live audiovisual means as prescribed in s. 807.13 (2). The fact that a qualified expert witness called by one party is from a lower order of
preference under subd. 1. than a qualified expert witness called
by another party may not be the sole consideration in weighing
the testimony and opinions of the qualified expert witnesses. In
weighing the testimony of all witnesses, the court shall consider
as paramount the best interests of the Indian child as provided in
s. 48.01 (2). The court shall determine the qualifications of a
qualified expert witness as provided in ch. 907.
(g) Active efforts standard. 1. The court may not order an Indian child to be removed from the home of the Indian child’s parent or Indian custodian and placed in an out-of-home care placement unless the evidence of active efforts under par. (d) 2. or (e)
2. shows that there has been an ongoing, vigorous, and concerted
level of case work and that the active efforts were made in a manner that takes into account the prevailing social and cultural values, conditions, and way of life of the Indian child’s tribe and that
utilizes the available resources of the Indian child’s tribe, tribal
and other Indian child welfare agencies, extended family members of the Indian child, other individual Indian caregivers, and
other culturally appropriate service providers. The consideration
by the court or jury of whether active efforts were made under
par. (d) 2. or (e) 2. shall include whether all of the following activities were conducted:
a. Representatives designated by the Indian child’s tribe with
substantial knowledge of the prevailing social and cultural standards and child-rearing practice within the tribal community
were requested to evaluate the circumstances of the Indian child’s
family and to assist in developing a case plan that uses the resources of the tribe and of the Indian community, including traditional and customary support, actions, and services, to address
those circumstances.
am. A comprehensive assessment of the situation of the Indian child’s family was completed, including a determination of
the likelihood of protecting the Indian child’s health, safety, and
welfare effectively in the Indian child’s home.
b. Representatives of the Indian child’s tribe were identified,
notified, and invited to participate in all aspects of the Indian
child custody proceeding at the earliest possible point in the proceeding and their advice was actively solicited throughout the
proceeding.
c. Extended family members of the Indian child, including
extended family members who were identified by the Indian
child’s tribe or parents, were notified and consulted with to identify and provide family structure and support for the Indian child,
to assure cultural connections, and to serve as placement resources for the Indian child.
d. Arrangements were made to provide natural and unsupervised family interaction in the most natural setting that can ensure
the Indian child’s safety, as appropriate to the goals of the Indian
child’s permanency plan, including arrangements for transportation and other assistance to enable family members to participate
in that interaction.
e. All available family preservation strategies were offered or
employed and the involvement of the Indian child’s tribe was requested to identify those strategies and to ensure that those strategies are culturally appropriate to the Indian child’s tribe.
f. Community resources offering housing, financial, and
transportation assistance and in-home support services, in-home
intensive treatment services, community support services, and
specialized services for members of the Indian child’s family
with special needs were identified, information about those resources was provided to the Indian child’s family, and the Indian
child’s family was actively assisted or offered active assistance in
accessing those resources.
g. Monitoring of client progress and client participation in
services was provided.
h. A consideration of alternative ways of addressing the
needs of the Indian child’s family was provided, if services did
not exist or if existing services were not available to the family.
2. If any of the activities specified in subd. 1. a. to h. were not
conducted, the person seeking the out-of-home care placement or
involuntary termination of parental rights shall submit documentation to the court explaining why the activity was not conducted.
(5) VOLUNTARY PROCEEDINGS; CONSENT; WITHDRAWAL. (a)
Out-of-home care placement. A voluntary consent by a parent or
Indian custodian to an out-of-home care placement of an Indian
child under s. 48.63 (1) (a) or (b) or (5) (b) or a delegation of powers by a parent regarding the care and custody of an Indian child
under s. 48.979 is not valid unless the consent or delegation is executed in writing, recorded before a judge, and accompanied by a
written certification by the judge that the terms and consequences
of the consent or delegation were fully explained in detail to and
were fully understood by the parent or Indian custodian. The
judge shall also certify that the parent or Indian custodian fully
understood the explanation in English or that the explanation was
interpreted into a language that the parent or Indian custodian understood. Any consent or delegation of powers given under this
paragraph prior to or within 10 days after the birth of the Indian
child is not valid. A parent or Indian custodian who has executed
a consent or delegation of powers under this paragraph may withdraw the consent or delegation for any reason at any time, and the
Indian child shall be returned to the parent or Indian custodian. A
parent or Indian custodian who has executed a consent or delegation of powers under this paragraph may also move to invalidate
the out-of-home care placement or delegation of powers under
sub. (6).
(b) Termination of parental rights. A voluntary consent by a
parent to a termination of parental rights under s. 48.41 (2) (e) is
not valid unless the consent is executed in writing, recorded before a judge, and accompanied by a written certification by the
judge that the terms and consequences of the consent were fully
explained in detail to and were fully understood by the parent.
The judge shall also certify that the parent fully understood the
explanation in English or that the explanation was interpreted
into a language that the parent understood. Any consent given
under this paragraph prior to or within 10 days after the birth of
the Indian child is not valid. A parent who has executed a consent
under this paragraph may withdraw the consent for any reason at
any time prior to the entry of a final order terminating parental
rights, and the Indian child shall be returned to his or her parent
unless an order or agreement specified in s. 48.368 (1) or 938.368
(1) provides for a different placement. After the entry of a final
order terminating parental rights, a parent who has executed a
consent under this paragraph may withdraw that consent as provided in par. (c), move to invalidate the termination of parental
rights under sub. (6), or move for relief from the judgment under
s. 48.46 (2).
(c) Withdrawal of consent after order granting adoption. After the entry of a final order granting adoption of an Indian child,
a parent who has consented to termination of parental rights under s. 48.41 (2) (e) may withdraw that consent and move the court
for relief from the judgment on the grounds that the consent was
obtained through fraud or duress. Any such motion shall be filed

within 2 years after the entry of an order granting adoption of the
Indian child. A motion under this subsection does not affect the
finality or suspend the operation of the judgment or order terminating parental rights or granting adoption. If the court finds that
the consent was obtained through fraud or duress, the court shall
vacate the judgment or order terminating parental rights and, if
applicable, the order granting adoption and return the Indian
child to the custody of the parent, unless an order or agreement
specified in s. 48.368 (1) or 938.368 (1) that was in effect prior to
the termination of parental rights provides for a different
placement.
(6) INVALIDATION OF ACTION. Any Indian child who is the
subject of an out-of-home care placement, of a delegation of powers under s. 48.979, or of a termination of parental rights proceeding, any parent or Indian custodian from whose custody that
Indian child was removed, or the Indian child’s tribe may move
the court to invalidate that out-of-home care placement, delegation of powers, or termination of parental rights on the grounds
that the out-of-home care placement or delegation of powers was
made or the termination of parental rights was ordered in violation of 25 USC 1911, 1912, or 1913. If the court finds that those
grounds exist, the court shall invalidate the out-of-home care
placement, delegation of powers, or termination of parental
rights.
(7) PLACEMENTS AND DELEGATIONS OF POWERS; PREFERENCES. (a) Adoptive placement or delegation of powers; preferences. Subject to pars. (c) and (d), in placing an Indian child for
adoption or in delegating powers, as described in sub. (2) (d) 5.,
regarding an Indian child, preference shall be given, in the absence of good cause, as described in par. (e), to the contrary, to a
placement with or delegation to one of the following, in the order
of preference listed:
1. An extended family member of the Indian child.
2. Another member of the Indian child’s tribe.
3. Another Indian family.
(b) Out-of-home care or preadoptive placement; preferences.
Any Indian child who is accepted for an out-of-home care placement or a preadoptive placement shall be placed in the least restrictive setting that most approximates a family, that meets the
Indian child’s special needs, if any, and that is within reasonable
proximity to the Indian child’s home, taking into account those
special needs. Subject to pars. (c) to (e), in placing an Indian
child in an out-of-home care placement or a preadoptive placement, preference shall be given, in the absence of good cause, as
described in par. (e), to the contrary, to a placement in one of the
following, in the order of preference listed:
1. The home of an extended family member of the Indian
child.
2. A foster home licensed, approved, or specified by the Indian child’s tribe.
3. An Indian foster home licensed or approved by the department, a county department, or a child welfare agency.
4. A group home or residential care center for children and
youth approved by an Indian tribe or operated by an Indian organization that has a program suitable to meet the needs of the Indian child.
(bm) Temporary physical custody; preferences. Any Indian
child who is being held in temporary physical custody under s.
48.205 (1) shall be placed in compliance with par. (b) or, if applicable, par. (c), unless the person responsible for determining the
placement finds good cause, as described in par. (e), for departing
from the order of placement preference under par. (b) or finds
that emergency conditions necessitate departing from that order.
When the reason for departing from that order is resolved, the Indian child shall be placed in compliance with the order of placement preference under par. (b) or, if applicable, par. (c).
(c) Tribal or personal preferences. In placing an Indian child
under par. (a), (b), or (bm) or in delegating powers regarding an
Indian child under par. (a), if the Indian child’s tribe has established, by resolution, an order of preference that is different from
the order specified in par. (a) or (b), the order of preference established by that tribe shall be followed, in the absence of good
cause, as described in par. (e), to the contrary, so long as the
placement or delegation under par. (a) is appropriate for the Indian child’s special needs, if any, and the placement under par. (b)
or (bm) is the least restrictive setting appropriate for the Indian
child’s needs as specified in par. (b). When appropriate, the preference of the Indian child or parent shall be considered, and,
when a parent who has consented to the placement or delegation
evidences a desire for anonymity, that desire shall be given
weight, in determining the placement or delegation.
(d) Social and cultural standards. The standards to be applied in meeting the placement preference requirements of this
subsection shall be the prevailing social and cultural standards of
the Indian community in which the Indian child’s parents or extended family members reside or with which the Indian child’s
parents or extended family members maintain social and cultural
ties.
(e) Good cause. 1. Whether there is good cause to depart
from the order of placement preference under par. (a), (b), or (c)
shall be determined based on any one or more of the following
considerations:
a. When appropriate, the request of the Indian child’s parent
or, if the Indian child is of sufficient age and developmental level
to make an informed decision, the Indian child, unless the request
is made for the purpose of avoiding the application of this section
and the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 USC 1901 to 1963.
b. Any extraordinary physical, mental, or emotional health
needs of the Indian child requiring highly specialized treatment
services as established by the testimony of an expert witness, including a qualified expert witness. The length of time that an Indian child has been in a placement or subject to a delegation of
powers, as described in sub. (2) (d) 5., does not, in itself, constitute an extraordinary emotional health need.
c. The unavailability of a suitable placement for the Indian
child after diligent efforts have been made to place the Indian
child in the order of preference under par. (a), (b), or (c) or the unavailability of a suitable agent to whom to delegate powers, as described in sub. (2) (d) 5., regarding the Indian child after diligent
efforts have been made to delegate those powers in the order of
preference under par. (a).
2. The burden of establishing good cause to depart from the
order of placement preference under par. (a), (b), or (c) shall be
on the party requesting that departure.
(f) Report of placements and delegations of powers. The department, a county department, or a child welfare agency shall
maintain a record of each adoptive placement, out-of-home care
placement, preadoptive placement, and delegation of powers, as
described in sub. (2) (d) 5., made of an Indian child, evidencing
the efforts made to comply with the placement preference requirements specified in this subsection, and shall make that
record available at any time on the request of the U.S. secretary of
the interior or the Indian child’s tribe.
(8) RETURN OF CUSTODY. (a) Adoption vacated, set aside, or
terminated. If a final order granting adoption of an Indian child
is vacated or set aside or if the parental rights to an Indian child of
all adoptive parents of the Indian child are voluntarily terminated,
the Indian child’s former parent or former Indian custodian may
petition for the return of custody of the Indian child. On receipt

of a return of custody petition, the court shall set a date for a hearing on the petition that allows reasonable time for the parties to
prepare. The court shall provide notice of the hearing to the
guardian and legal custodian of the Indian child, to all other interested parties as provided in s. 48.27 (6), and to the Indian child’s
former parent and former Indian custodian. At the conclusion of
the hearing, the court shall grant a petition for the return of custody of the Indian child to the Indian child’s former parent or former Indian custodian unless there is a showing that return of custody is not in the best interests of the Indian child.
(b) Removal from out-of-home care placement. If an Indian
child is removed from an out-of-home care placement for the purpose of placing the Indian child in another out-of-home care
placement, a preadoptive placement, or an adoptive placement,
the placement shall be made in accordance with this section. Removal of an Indian child from an out-of-home care placement for
the purpose of returning the Indian child to the home of the parent or Indian custodian from whose custody the Indian child was
originally removed is not subject to this section.
(9) ADOPTEE INFORMATION. (a) Provision of information to
U.S. secretary of the interior. At the time a court enters an order
granting adoption of an Indian child, the court shall provide the
U.S. secretary of the interior with a copy of the order, together
with such other records and papers pertaining to the adoption
proceeding as may be necessary to provide that secretary with all
of the following information:
1. The name and tribal affiliation of the Indian child.
2. The names and addresses of the Indian child’s birth
parents.
3. The names and addresses of the Indian child’s adoptive
parents.
4. The identity of any agency that has in its possession any
files or information relating to the adoptive placement of the Indian child.
(b) Confidentiality of parent’s identity. The court shall give
the birth parent of an Indian child the opportunity to file an affidavit indicating that the birth parent wishes the U.S. secretary of
the interior to maintain the confidentiality of the birth parent’s
identity. If the birth parent files that affidavit, the court shall include the affidavit with the information provided to the U.S. secretary of the interior under par. (a), and that secretary shall maintain the confidentiality of the birth parent’s identity as required
under 25 USC 1951 (a) and (b).
(c) Provision of tribal affiliation to adoptee. At the request of
an Indian adoptee who is 18 years of age or older, the court that
entered the order granting adoption of the adoptee shall provide
or arrange to provide the adoptee with the tribal affiliation, if any,
of the adoptee’s birth parents and with such other information as
may be necessary to protect any rights accruing to the adoptee as
a result of that affiliation.
(10) HIGHER STATE OR FEDERAL STANDARD APPLICABLE.
The federal Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 USC 1901 to 1963, supersedes this chapter in any Indian child custody proceeding governed by that act, except that in any case in which this chapter
provides a higher standard of protection for the rights of an Indian
child’s parent or Indian custodian than the rights provided under
that act, the court shall apply the standard under this chapter.

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