Friends of clean adoption reform,

EXCELLENT NEWS! Yesterday (8.5.22), Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed H.2294 into law, making the Bay State the 13th state to announce 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 OBC for MA for their lead advocacy! Check OBC for MA social media as the apparent 11/3/22 effective date (90 days following Governor approval) approaches!

Massachusetts becomes the third state to enact clean adoption reform in 2022! (Following victories in Vermont and Louisiana) 

The provisions to take effect (on or about 11/3/22):

• Restore unrestricted access to original birth certificates (OBC) for all adult adoptees born between 7/17/74 and 1/1/08 (MA adoptees born outside that period already enjoy original birth certificate access upon reaching adulthood).  

Note: Massachusetts legislation in 2007 made it a Partial Access state (original birth certificate access only for adoptees born before 7/17/74 and after 1/1/08). So, the new law will make Massachusetts our 13th Unrestricted Access state! 

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! And D.C.!

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, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts (MA new provisions take effect on our about 11/3/22), New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont (VT primary provisions take effect July 1, 2023)