Researcher: JO Page 1 3/16/21
OLR Bill Analysis
HB 6105
AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO ORIGINAL BIRTH
CERTIFICATES BY ADULT ADOPTED PERSONS.
SUMMARY
This bill expands access to birth certificates for adopted persons age
18 and older and their adult children or grandchildren. It allows them
to obtain an uncertified copy of the adoptee’s original birth certificate
upon request. Current law provides this access only for adoptions
finalized on or after October 1, 1983.
For adoptions before that date, current law allows access to the
original certificate by these individuals only through a court order. If
the birth parents are alive, the court may issue the order only with
their consent, or in certain circumstances, the consent of a legal
representative or guardian ad litem.
The bill also transfers, from the Department of Public Health (DPH)
to municipalities, the responsibility to issue the original birth
certificates upon an eligible individual’s request. Specifically, it
requires the registrar of vital statistics in the municipality of the
adopted individual’s birth to issue the uncertified copy of the
certificate to the adoptee age 18 or older or his or her adult child or
grandchild. The registrar must do so within 30 days after a written
request by these individuals. Current law does not set a timeframe for
DPH to issue these birth certificates.
Additionally, the bill extends to January 1, 2027, the requirement for
the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to report annually to
the Public Health Committee on the number of birth parent contact
preference and health history forms filed with DCF (see
BACKGROUND). Under current law, this requirement expired on
January 1, 2021. 2021HB-06105-R000049-BA.DOCX
Researcher: JO Page 2 3/16/21
The bill also makes conforming and technical changes, including
eliminating an expired requirement for DPH to annually report on the
number of adult adoptee birth certificates issued each year.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021, and conforming changes on court
petitions apply to petitions filed on and after July 1, 2020.
BACKGROUND
Adoptee Birth Certificates
In most cases, DPH seals the original birth certificate when a court
notifies it that a child born in Connecticut has been adopted. It
prepares a new certificate substituting the adoptive parents’ names for
those appearing on the original certificate (CGS § 7-53).
Contact Preference and Health History Forms
By law, a biological parent may complete a DCF form indicating
whether the parent wants to be contacted by his or her adopted adult
child or the adoptee’s adult children or grandchildren. When receiving
a request for a contact preference form, DCF must also provide the
parent with a form on which to record his or her health history
information (CGS § 17a-60a).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Planning and Development Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 26 Nay 0 (03/02/2021)