NY State Access to Birth Records Status and Directory

NEW YORK

For current advocacy activities in New York contact: Joyce Bahr or go to www.unsealedinitiative.org

CURRENT LAW:  Passive registry. Adult adoptees (18) and birth parents can register with the Adoption Information Registry to receive identifying information.  When a match is confirmed, registry will notify the parties and the court where the adoption occurred to request each registrant’s “final consent” to the release of information.  Upon receipt of the final consent, information is released.

The original birth certificate is available only upon order of the court.

http://www.americanadoptioncongress.org/state.php

American Adoption Congress supports state-by-state legislative efforts to obtain access for adult adoptees to their original birth certificates. AAC prefers unrestricted access to this document for all adult adoptees but will accept compromise legislation if, in the opinion of AAC and local supporters, such a compromise is necessary to obtain the greatest access for the greatest number of adopted persons.

NC State Access to Birth Records Status and Directory

NORTH CAROLINA
HB1463, signed into law by Governor Beverly Perdue on July 21, 2010, expands the Confidential intermediary program.

HB1463 will allow adoptees age 18 (instead of 21) and older to be able to use the CI program. It will also allow:

• Adult biological siblings of adult adoptees
• Adult biological half siblings of adult adoptees
• Adult family members of deceased adoptees
• Adult family members of a deceased biological parent to use the Confidential Intermediary program.

This bill also allows an agency acting as a Confidential Intermediary to obtain a certified copy of a death certificate of the person who is the subject of the search and deliver it to the person who is searching.

For more information please contact Roberta MacDonald  or go to  http://adoptionreform-nc.org