Assemblymember David Weprin is sponsoring legislation that seeks to increase the rights of adoptees in New York.
A2003, “The Bill of Adoptee Rights,” would enable adults who were adopted to obtain a non-certified copy of their original birth certificate. In addition, should there be a medical history form, the adoptee would have access to it.
“Any non-adopted person has a legal right to obtain this information. We are simply asking that equal rights to the access of birth records be afforded to adoptees,” said Weprin. “In this day and age, it is unacceptable that some are denied the right to potentially life-saving information.”
The bill would also address contact between adoptees and their birth parents. It will establish a contact preference form. When an original birth certificate copy is requested by the adoptee, before it is released the birth parents would receive the form and be able to indicate if they would prefer to be contacted or not contacted by the adoptee directly or via an intermediary.
Adoptee advocates recently joined Weprin on the steps of City Hall to voice their support for The Bill of Adoptee Rights.
“Throughout history, adoption has been known as the kindness of strangers but in today’s world these old ‘father knows best’ laws, denying adult adoptees the right to their original birth certificates are unkind to adoptees in need of answers,” said Unsealed Initiative President Joyce Bahr. “Adoptees often suffer their grief in silence. The right to know is imperative for all adult adoptees.”
The Assembly’s Health Committee passed the bill on Tuesday, April 12. Weprin said he is “optimistic that the bill will be taken up by the full Assembly in May.”
