Friends of “CLEAN” adoption reform,
The “clean” bill of adoptee rights now exists in both houses of the New York legislature (A5494 / S3419)! We welcome 77 Assembly cosponsors! That’s 51% of the entire Assembly! We thank sponsors Assemblymember Weprin and Senator Montgomery! See below for instruction to keep seeking Senate cosponsors!
This week, we made our 13th petition delivery to Albany officials! We thank our sponsors, Assemblymember Carroll and allied advocates for the time to discuss and chart a path forward.
We continue to thank you for your ongoing support of our human and civil rights appeal. Including you, we count 7,200+ petition supporters and rising—please keep sharing!
A5494 / S3419 has won a growing list of supporters, including:
1. Assembly cosponsors: 77 when introduced! See names at the bill link below!
2. Senate cosponsors: Senators Parker, Harckham and May!
3. Our petition! (Citizens Petition to Advance the “Clean” Adoption Reform Bill)
4. American Adoption Congress (AAC)
5. New York Adoptee Rights Coalition (NYARC)
6. North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
7. New York Statewide Adoption Reform (NYSAR)
8. National Center on Adoption and Permanency (NCAP)
CURRENT APPEAL / BILL STATUS (A5494 / S3419):
The bill:
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?term=2019&bn=A05494
Features include:
o Restores unrestricted access to original birth certificates (OBC) for all New York adult adoptees!
o Support for the general health and well-being of adoptees!
o OBC access for direct line descendants, or legal representatives, if the adoptee is deceased
o OBC access for legal representatives of adoptees
o Clarifying term “commissioner” to ensure all adult adoptees will be able to complete an OBC request
Senate sponsor: Senator Velmanette Montgomery (S3419)
Assembly sponsor: Assemblymember David Weprin (A5494)
Senate status: Stay tuned for updates as a potential change in committee assignments may be announced
Assembly status: Health Committee, Chaired by cosponsor Richard Gottfried!
We thank all our petition supporters and The American Adoption Congress, where Tim also serves, for encouragement as the session proceeds. Check out, join and support the AAC!
www.americanadoptioncongress.org
SENATE AND SPONSOR CALLS TO ACTION CONTINUE!
1. POLITELY APPEAL FOR SENATE COSPONSORS (Write all!):
To determine your local district Senator:
https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator
NY SENATORS yet to cosponsor the bill, FULL e-mail database (TO COPY and PASTE / suggest blind carbon copy):
addabbo@nysenate.gov, akshar@nysenate.gov, amedore@nysenate.gov, antonacci@nysenate.gov, bailey@nysenate.gov, bbenjamin@nysenate.gov, biaggi@nysenate.gov, pboyle@nysenate.gov, breslin@nysenate.gov, brooks@nysenate.gov, carlucci@nysenate.gov, comrie@nysenate.gov, felder@nysenate.gov, flanagan@nysenate.gov, Funke@nysenate.gov, gallivan@nysenate.gov, gaughran@nysenate.gov, gianaris@nysenate.gov, gounardes@nysenate.gov, griffo@nysenate.gov, helming@nysenate.gov, hoylman@nysenate.gov, jackson@nysenate.gov, jacobs@nysenate.gov, jordan@nysenate.gov, kaminsky@nysenate.gov, kaplan@nysenate.gov, kavanagh@nysenate.gov, kennedy@nysenate.gov, lkrueger@nysenate.gov, lanza@nysenate.gov, lavalle@nysenate.gov, little@nysenate.gov, liu@nysenate.gov, martinez@nysenate.gov, smayer@nysenate.gov, metzger@nysenate.gov, myrie@nysenate.gov, omara@nysenate.gov, Ortt@nysenate.gov, persaud@nysenate.gov, ramos@nysenate.gov, ranz@nysenate.gov, ritchie@nysenate.gov, grivera@nysenate.gov, robach@nysenate.gov, salazar@nysenate.gov, sanders@nysenate.gov, Savino@nysenate.gov, sepulveda@nysenate.gov, Serino@nysenate.gov, serrano@nysenate.gov, seward@nysenate.gov, skoufis@nysenate.gov, stavisky@nysenate.gov, scousins@nysenate.gov, tedisco@nysenate.gov, thomas@nysenate.gov, cyoung@nysenate.gov
SUGGESTED EMAIL TITLE:
Please cosponsor “clean” adoptee rights (S3419 / A5494)
SUGGESTED NOTE AND /OR PHONE SCRIPT (ADD YOUR STORY IF WRITING!):
“Hello. My name is ________ and I am contacting you from ________ [NOTE IF A CONSTITUENT!]. I am one of over seven thousand supporters of the “Citizens Petition to Advance the ‘Clean’ Adoption Reform Bill” ( https://www.change.org/p/advance-clean-ny-bill-of-adoptee-rights ). I am writing to ask that you add your name as a cosponsor of S3419 which will, as intended in the legislature, restore unrestricted access to original birth certificates for all adult adoptees. Last year, on June 5th, the Assembly Health Committee again voted overwhelmingly in favor of “clean” adoption reform, in accordance with best practices in adoption. Now, it’s time to honor adoptee human and civil rights by making A5494 / S3419 the law. Our rapidly growing cause is supported by the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA), the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) just to name a few. Now, with A5494 / S3419, we can get it right and make it equal. Thank you for your consideration!
2. THANK ASSEMBLYMEMBER WEPRIN AND SENATOR MONTGOMERY FOR SPONSORING A5494 / S3419 TO RESTORE ADOPTEE HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS!
Assemblymember David I. Weprin
weprind@nyassembly.gov
518-455-5806
718-454-3027
Senator Velmanette Montgomery
montgome@nysenate.gov
(518) 455-3451
(718) 643-6140
Contact Tim with outreach updates or news you’d like to share!
tmw713@gmail.com
NEXT STEPS INCLUDE:
1. Confirm potential NY Senate committee status change
2. Coordination with our sponsors and allied advocates
3. More updates and calls to action (stay tuned)!
With your help, this week, bold steps have been taken to place “clean” adoption reform firmly onto the 2019 legislative map.
Adoptee rights = human rights = civil rights!
Tim, Doris and Jennifer