Friends of clean adoption reform,

EXCELLENT NEWS! On May 3rd, Governor Phil Scott signed H.629 into law, making Vermont the 11th state with a policy of unrestricted access to original birth certificates for all adult adoptees (New York was 9th* in 2020)! We congratulate all the advocates at the Vermont Adoptee Rights Working Group for their lead advocacy!

The primary provisions, which will take effect July 1, 2023, will:

• Restore unrestricted access to original birth certificates (OBC) for all adult adoptees, just like all citizens and adults who “age-out” of foster care
• Allow for non-binding contact preferences to be filed
• Provide OBC access to a deceased adoptee’s direct descendants (or a direct descendant’s parent or guardian if the direct descendant is less than 18 years old)

We were very glad to support the bill, H.629, via the American Adoption Congress (AAC).

We continue to thank you, and all who support adoptee rights.

Adoptee rights are human rights!
Adoptee rights are civil rights!
Adoptee equality will be restored in all 50 states!

Tim.

*Note: Previously, we noted New York as the 10th state, but is now noted as the 9th state.  Hawaii access law requires an adjustment to restore its position as an unrestricted access state. 

States with a policy of unrestricted OBC access for adult adoptees (alphabetical):  Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont (VT primary provisions take effect July 2023)