PA 06-71—sSB 4 (VETOED)

Select Committee on Children

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT PROVIDING CERTAIN ADULT ADOPTED PERSONS WITH ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN THEIR ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES

SUMMARY: This act requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to give adopted adults copies of their sealed original birth certificates on request. Prior law barred access without a biological parent's consent or probate court order.

The act also creates a voluntary, non-binding procedure for biological parents to complete a DPH form indicating whether they want to be contacted by their adopted children. DPH must attach completed forms to the sealed birth certificates and make them available to adult adoptees on request.

The act applies to adoptions completed on and after October 1, 2006. Disclosure is not required until these adoptees reach at age 21.

The act requires DPH to tell people permitted to get copies of an adopted child's medical history record how to do so and makes minor and conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2006

COPIES OF ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES (§§ 1 & 2)

The act specifies that requests for original birth certificates may come from either the adult adopted person or, if he is deceased, any of his adult descendants. If DPH is satisfied as to the requestor's identity, it must provide access to and a copy of the sealed original birth certificate.

It must mark the copy with a notation that the birth certificate has been superseded by a replacement. This is the same notation required when a certified copy of a sealed original is issued pursuant to a probate court order.

CONTACT PREFERENCE (§ 2)

DPH must give a contact preference form to any birth parent who requests it. The parent must indicate whether he:

1. would like to be contacted,

2. would like to be contacted only through an intermediary, or

3. does not want to be contacted.

DPH employees authorized to issue birth certificates must attach completed forms to the adopted person's sealed original certificate. The department may provide copies only to (1) adult adoptees or their descendants and (2) the state adoption registry.

HEALTH HISTORY FORMS (§ 2)

By law, the Department of Children and Families and adoption agencies must make reasonable efforts to compile non-identifying information about the biological parents of a child who is placed or free for adoption. This information is disclosable to adult adoptees and birth parents, among others, and may include a health history of the child's parents and blood relatives.

The act requires DPH to tell these people how to get this information from DCF.

BACKGROUND

Sealed Birth Certificates

In most cases, DPH seals the original birth certificate when a probate court notifies it that a child born in Connecticut has been adopted. It prepares a new certificate substituting the adoptive parents' names for those appearing on the original certificate.

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