Section 19-8-25. Effect of prior consent or surrender

   (a) A written consent or surrender, executed on or before June 30, 1990, shall, for purposes of an adoption proceeding commenced on or after July 1, 1990, be deemed to satisfy the surrender requirements of this chapter and it shall not be necessary to have any parent or guardian execute the documents required by Code Section 19-8-4, 19-8-5, 19-8-6, or 19-8-7; however, all other applicable provisions of this chapter must be complied with.

(b) It is the legislative intent of this subsection to clarify and not to change the applicability of certain previously existing provisions of this chapter to adoption proceedings pending on July 1, 1990. Any decree of adoption issued in an adoption proceeding in which the adoption petition was filed in a superior court of this state prior to July 1, 1990, shall be valid if the adoption conformed to the requirements of this chapter either as they existed on June 30, 1990, or on July 1, 1990, and each such adoption decree is hereby ratified and confirmed.

Code 1981, § 19-8-25, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1572, § 5; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1640, § 12.