Legwatch Winter 2002

Check the BN Action Alert page: www.bastards.org/alert/ frequently for updates on these and other adoptee-rights-related bills..

CANADA

ONTARIO

Bill 77 is still on the books. This is a bill, which includes a contact veto and access to information for adoptees and birth parents. The Standing Committee on General Government heard submissions on the bill on Nov. 5 and 7, 2001. Natalie Proctor Servant made a presentation on behalf of Bastard Nation. See

http://www.ontla.on.ca/hansard/committee_debates/37_parl/Session2/gengov/G013.htm

for more details.

The bill passed out of committee with 2 main amendments: the contact veto fine was increased to $10,000, and the language was changed from "no-contact notice" to "contact veto".

The final step would be for Bill 77 to reach third reading. The government is currently not in session and a new Premier will be elected in the next couple of months. The next session will likely begin in March or April, and Bill 77 may come up for third reading during that session.

UNITED STATES

CALIFORNIA

AB-1349, which would have ended 67 years of adoptee rights violations in California by allowing adult adoptees full access to the contents of their sealed files at the State Office of Vital Records, was introduced in the California Assembly in January. California Open, an impressive coalition of triad members with California ties, adoption reform groups, adoption agencies and professionals, combined forces behind the bill, which was heard before the Assembly Judiciary Committee on January 15. Unfortunately, for the second straight session, the Judiciary Committee refused to pass the bill from the Committee without substantial and unacceptable amendments that would have allowed only adoptees who already knew the identity of a birthparent to have access to their birth records while forcing others into a confidential intermediary program. Opposition within the Committee was primarily due to pressure from the Chair, Asm. Darrell Steinberg. Because of their commitment to unconditional access, California Open asked their sponsor, Asm. Pescetti, to pull the bill rather than continue to move forward with these degrading amendments. The California Open group continues to strategize for the current 2002 session, and all adoptee rights supporters are urged to lend them their support. For more information, contact BN's California State Director, Charles Filius, at inkybastard@earthlink.net or visit the California Open webpage at http://www.caopen2001.org/.

GEORGIA

HB-1127 has been introduced in the Georgia House and, if passed, will provide adult adoptees born in Georgia with unconditional access to their original birth certificates and other sealed information filed with the Department of Vital Records. The bill also contains an expansion of the existing search and consent Georgia Adoption Reunion
Registry program. The bill was engrossed in the House at the time of introduction, which prevents any amendments being attached in that chamber. At the present time, Bastard Nation is withholding active support due to lack of assurances from the grassroots group behind the bill that they will remain committed to unconditional access as the bill progresses.

MISSOURI

HB1195, which would provide adult adoptees born in Missouri with unconditional access to their original birth certificates, has been introduced in the Missouri House. This bill is being lobbied by the Missouri Open Coalition, which has committed to unconditional access for adult adoptees to their original birth records. The bill has been assigned to the House Civil and Administrative Law Committee. For more information, contact Bastard Nationals Carol Kurtz, Legislative Liaison for MO Open 2000, at kurtz3@aol.com or
636-282-7092 or MO Open Secretary-Treasurer Lindsay Woodside at
quilter@bluevalley.net, to find out what you can do to help Missouri become the next open records state. The Missouri Open homepage is located at
http://site.yahoo.com/adoptee-rights/

NEW JERSEY

The whiteout/disclosure veto bill S2002 died in the last session, but has been reintroduced as S194. It has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, but no hearing date has been set yet. Bastard Nation continues to oppose this bill, which gives the birth parent the ability to create in effect another amended certificate and deny the adoptee access to the unamended original.

PENNSYLVANIA

SB 859 is still being considered by the PA Senate Judiciary Committee before being sent to the floor for vote. This bill would allow for unconditional adoptee access to the original birth certificate and access to court and agency records subject to a birth parent disclosure veto for those adopted after its passage, and an expansion of the current confidential intermediary system for everyone else. A hearing was held on October 15 at which PA Bastard Nationals Cynthia Bertrand Holub and Mari Steed testified in support of the civil right of adult adoptees, no matter their date of adoption, to access the state-held records of their births. The Judiciary Committee has received hundreds of letters urging amendment in favor of unconditional access for ALL adult adoptees -- please keep them coming. See the Action Alert page for contact information for the Judiciary Committee. The House companion bill is HB 1471.

(This feature appeared in the Winter 2002 issue of the Bastard Quarterly.)