Greetings Everyone.
SB381 is a gut and amend bill. It will restore unrestricted access to original birth certificates to adult California born adoptees if it passes. Presently, the bill language of SB381 is old language of the bill (has nothing to do with birth certificates) but our language will replace it on Jan. 5th. In the meantime, we need letters of support put in the Senate Judiciary portal by the end of the day on Jan. 5th. The turn around is fast, but this is our current reality. It will be heard on January 13th at 1:30.p.m. 1021 O Street, Room 3240. Feel free to come and support in person, write a letter, or share this petition. https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/faces/submitnote.xhtml
FACT SHEET: Restoring Adoptee Access to Original
Birth Certificates (OBCs)
California Alliance for Adoptee Rights (CAAR)
Contact: https://caallianceforadopteerights.org
SUMMARY
Adult adoptees in California are denied the right to obtain their own original birth certificate
(OBC)—a vital record created at birth and independent of adoption. Our bill restores equal access
to this record. It is not about adoption files, reunions, or confidential communications. It is simply
about allowing adults to access the document that records the true facts of their birth.
KEY POINTS
1. The Original Birth Certificate Is a Vital Record
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Issued at birth for all children, before any adoption occurs.
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Contains only basic birth information—not adoption data.
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Adoption may never occur; therefore no confidentiality can be promised.
2. No Legal Basis for Confidentiality Claims
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Relinquishment documents contain no promise of anonymity—they cannot, because
adoption is not guaranteed.
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OBCs remain accessible when children are not adopted or when adoptive parents decline a
new certificate.
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Courts can—and do—order access, demonstrating there is no absolute right to birth
parent confidentiality.
3. Birth Mothers Overwhelmingly Support Access
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More than 95% of birth mothers favor unrestricted OBC access.
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Research from 26 states shows no historical promise of confidentiality to birth mothers.
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We have letters of support from birth mother organizations, a national association of
adoption attorneys, the American Academy of Pediatrics, foster parent organizations, and
other professional organizations.
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Birth mothers do not want restrictions or barriers to birth certificate access for their
relinquished child when they are adults under the guise of claiming to “protect” birth
mothers - it contradicts their own voices.
Anonymity No Longer Exists
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DNA testing, genealogy databases, and search technology already identify birth families.
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Accessing one’s own OBC is less invasive than DNA searches involving extended
relatives.
5. Secrecy Harms Adoptees
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Denies essential family health history, affecting medical care and prevention.
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Prevents cultural or tribal affiliation (e.g., Native American heritage).
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Can cause passport denials for adoptees whose amended certificates were filed years
after birth.
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Reinforces outdated stigma and treats adoptees unequally under the law.
6. Broad, Bipartisan Support Nationwide
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16 states now allow unrestricted OBC access.
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No negative outcomes and courts have upheld these laws.
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Louisiana (2022), New Hampshire (2005), and others recognize this as a human rights
and equality issue.
WHY CALIFORNIA MUST ACT
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A birth certificate belongs to the person whose birth it documents.
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California prides itself on civil rights, dignity, and equality—yet adult adoptees remain the
only Californians denied access to their own vital records.
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Restoring access corrects decades of state-imposed secrecy, aligns California with national
momentum, and affirms adoptees’ fundamental human right to identity.
THE ASK
Support legislation granting adult California-born adoptees unrestricted access to their original
birth certificates—just like every other person born in our state.