Researcher: JO Page 1 5/6/21 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-R010630-BA.DOCX Researcher: JO Page 2 5/6/21 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)