Dedicated activists and concerned citizens are thrilled legislation giving all adult adoptees the right to a copy of their original birth certificate at age 18 passed in the state senate on June 7, 2019 with bipartisan support. It was in 2010 Brooklyn Senator Velmanette Montgomery became the prime sponsor of adoptee rights legislation when she took the bill from New Windsor Senator Bill Larkin, an adoptive grandfather. She was the prime sponsor for only one year because republicans took control of the senate again and, Staten Island Senator Andrew Lanza stepped up to become prime sponsor.
Amazingly in 2019 democrats took control of the senate again and Senator Montgomery became prime sponsor again. Powerful Senator Kemp Hannon who had tabled the bill in health committee for 25 years lost his bid for re-election opening a new window of opportunity.This change along with many newly elected senate democrats in office led to many new bill co-sponsors and, many supporters who voted YES! Bill S3419 passed 13 to 0 in senate health committee and 56 to 6 on the floor!
A grassroots lobby for the Bill of Adoptee Rights got underway in 1993 when the first adoptee access bill was introduced by Assemblymember Scott Stringer. However, it wasn't until 2005 when a serious grassroots lobby by Unsealed Initiative took off with lobby teams at the Capitol 3 or 4 times a session This serious lobby by adoptees and birth/natural parents put us on the Abany map.
Presenting copies of the papers unwed mothers signed terminating their parental rights for the first time was key in moving legislators to co-sponsor. Along with news of court precedence in Tennessee (1997) Oregon (1999) and to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2000) of no right to privacy for birth/natural parents. Conclusions of studies by Professor Elizabeth Samuels from the Baltimore School of Law concluding birth certificates were sealed to protect the home of the adoptive family from intrusion by the birth/natural mother were upfront in our lobby packets.
Claims by opponents of confidentiality for unwed mothers are untrue. Adoption agencies records are confidential however, confidentiality was not given to unwed mothers who were told to go home and forget about it. Adoptees were not privy to the adoption proceedings. the right of the adult adoptee vs. the right to privacy for unwed mothers should be a non issue as they never legally had that right. If anyone gelives there was confidentiality they are wrong.
We are grateful to all advocates and newly formed advocacy groups joining the lobby to pass this long overdue legislation in our state senate and ,we will continue the fight in the assembly. We never forget adoptee advocates who died without important medical history which just could have saved their lives!
