Jan. 23, 2015
HARRISBURG – Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) announced today that he will be reintroducing legislation to give adult adoptees the authority to access their original birth certificate without redactions.
“In Pennsylvania, adoptees are being denied the opportunity to discover a piece of their identity,” Benninghoff said. “Original birth certificates are not restricted to anyone else, including children in foster care. It’s time to remove this barrier, which keeps adoptees from rightful access to their information.”
The legislation,
HB 162, passed unanimously in the House last session and was approved by the Senate Aging and Youth Committee. The 2013-2014 legislative session expired before the legislation was taken up by the full Senate for consideration.
“This is about equal rights to all Pennsylvanians,” Benninghoff said. “Government should not be permitted to deny an adult the right to their own personal history.”
Representative Kerry Benninghoff
171st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Morgan Wagner
717.260.6281
mwagner@pahousegop.com
KerryBenninghoff.com /
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