Researcher: JO Page 1 5/5/21
OLR Bill Analysis
HB 6105 (as amended by House "A")*
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 adult grandchildren by
allowing 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 (GAL).
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
adult 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.
The bill similarly transfers, from DPH to municipalities, the
responsibility to issue original birth certificates upon a court order to
certain relatives (e.g., adult descendants or biological siblings of the
adoptee) in cases where an adoptee is deceased. (In these cases, the
same requirement to obtain consent from the living birth parents or a
legal representative or GAL applies as noted above.) 2021HB-06105-R01-BA.DOCX
Researcher: JO Page 2 5/5/21
The bill also makes conforming and technical changes, including
repealing certain expired reporting requirements.
*House Amendment “A” (1) removes a provision in the underlying
bill extending an expired requirement for the Department of Children
and Families to report annually on birth parent contact preference and
health history forms; (2) transfers, from DPH to municipalities, the
responsibility to issue original birth certificates following certain court
orders; and (3) makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021; conforming changes on court
petitions apply to petitions filed on and after July 1, 2021.
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).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Planning and Development Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 26 Nay 0 (03/02/2021)