1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1515 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 244
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Jessica Ann Giannino and Sean Garballey
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to the family medical history of adopted children.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Jessica Ann Giannino16th Suffolk1/15/2025Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex1/15/2025Paul J. Donato35th Middlesex2/4/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1515 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 244
By Representatives Giannino of Revere and Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 244) of Jessica Ann Giannino, Sean Garballey and Paul J. Donato relative to the
family medical history of adopted children. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act relative to the family medical history of adopted children.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 210 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 2 the following section:-
3 Section 21⁄2. (a) For the purposes of this section “placement agency” shall mean a
4department, agency or institution of the commonwealth, or any political subdivision thereof, or
5any organization incorporated under chapter 180, 1 of whose principal purposes is providing
6custodial care and social services to children, which receives by agreement with a parent or
7guardian, by contract with a state agency or as a result of referral by a court of competent
8jurisdiction, any child under the age of 18 years of age for placement in adoption.
9 (b) Any placement agency that receives written consent for adoption required by section
102 from a biological parent shall provide the biological parent with an anonymous family medical
11history form and encourage the biological parent to complete the form to the best of their
12knowledge. The anonymous family medical history form shall include, but not be limited to: (i) 2 of 2
13any known genetic predispositions and health conditions of the parent and (ii) any known genetic
14predispositions and health conditions of the parent’s relatives within 2 degrees of consanguinity.
15No placement agency shall require the completion of the form as a condition of acceptance of
16written consent for adoption required by the section 2.(c) Upon the adoption of any child whose
17biological parent completed an anonymous family medical history form, the placement agency
18shall provide the form to the child’s adoptive parent. Any information about the biological
19parents included in the anonymous family medical history form shall not identify or tend to lead
20to the identification of the biological parents or their present or former locations. No prospective
21adoptive parent shall have access to the anonymous medical history form completed by a child’s
22biological parent prior to the child’s adoption.
23 SECTION 2. This act shall be known as “Patricia and Francesca's Law”.