Dec. 16, 2015

HARRISBURG – Legislation that would allow adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates is one step closer to law after it passed the state House today, said Rep. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks/144th).

“Allowing adults who have been adopted access to their original birth certificate will open the doors for individuals who are seeking information about their birth and who they are,” said Watson, herself an adoptee and mother of an adopted son. “We understand that this is an emotional issue for many, but it is also one of practicality. With birth certificates necessary to prove one’s identity, this lack of access makes it much more challenging to obtain other forms of identification, such as a passport.”

Currently, adoptees may petition the courts for a copy of their original birth records, but those requests may be denied. Birth certificates for adopted children have been sealed in Pennsylvania since 1984.

Under House Bill 162, that right would be reinstated so that adult adoptees can apply for and receive a copy of their original birth certificate.

Watson emphasized that an additional protection for the birth parent was included in the bill to allow birth parents to redact their names during a six-month window following the law’s effective date. Birth parents who choose not to redact their names can submit a contact preference form to indicate whether or not they wish to be contacted.

Additionally, birth parents who choose to redact their names and birth parents who choose to submit contact preference forms, even those who choose “no contact” as their preference, would be required to provide medical history information to be kept on file for the adoptee.

“This legislation also seeks to ensure fairness,” said Watson, chairman of the House Children and Youth Committee. “In no way do we want to compromise the privacy of a birth parent; however, we want to ensure that an adopted child – when reaching adulthood – has access to their own personal information. This will also be helpful for adult adoptees who are in search of information about their family’s health history.”

The legislation was the focus of two hearings in the past two years to ensure that the proposal was fully vetted. It now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

Representative Kathy Watson
144th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Media Contact: Jennifer Keaton
717.705.2094
jkeaton@pahousegop.com
KathyWatson144.com / Facebook.com/RepWatson

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