Friends of clean adoption reform,
NY law updates coming soon! We need to help Texas! HB1386 / SB1877 passed the Texas House 144 -1! Please call Texas Senate President / Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick to appeal for Senate advancement and enactment! (512) 463-0001
Senate President / Lt. Governor Dan Patrick: (512) 463-0001
INFORMATION WHICH CAN HELP YOU POLITELY CALL TEXAS SENATE PRESIDENT / LT. GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK:
I am calling to express support for HB1386 / SB1877, which will restore the basic civil right of unrestricted access to original birth certificates for all Texas adult adoptees. A basic right enjoyed by all non-adopted Texans. A policy that is working in nine other states.
This vital proposal, featured recently in Texas Monthly, passed the Texas House by an overwhelming 144 -1 vote! Now, we are respectfully asking Lieutenant Governor Patrick to take the next step – direct the Senate Jurisprudence Committee to act on this bill so it may then advance to the Senate floor and on for Governor enactment.
It has won much more than bipartisan legislator support. The February 2021 Texas Voter Survey (#21943) showed that a great majority of constituents will welcome the restoration of human and civil rights equality for adult adoptees (via restored access to original birth certificates).
Organizational support has been earned from The Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA), Gladney Center for Adoption, The North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), National Center on Adoption and Permanency (NACAC), and the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, just to name a few.
HB1386 / SB1877 has the endorsement of the key adoptee rights advocates, including the Texas Adoptee Rights Coalition (TXARC), Support Texas Adoptee Rights (STAR) and the American Adoption Congress (AAC), who estimates that this Act will restore access to 968,462 original birth certificates. By extension, this will also benefit any families adoptees create – millions of other Texans touched by adoption.
Adoptee rights are human rights. Adoptee rights are civil rights. It’s time to restore adoptee rights in the Lone Star State. Please advance HB1386 / SB1877.
Thank you very much for your time.