RI House Approves Bill on Birth Records
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Rhode Island House today approved a bill that would allow adult adoptees born in Rhode Island to access copies of their original birth certificates.
Under the current law, an adopted child is issued an amended birth certificate with the names of their adoptive parents and their original certificate is sealed. Adoptees 18 years or older would be able to get their records—unless their birth parents had signed a "no release" form.
“Right now, when an adoptee requests his or her birth certificate, the answer is ‘no,’ no matter what the birth parent wanted, and that doesn’t really help anyone,” said Representative Shallcross Smith, (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket), whose stepson is adopted.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“This bill resets the default so the vital records office says ‘yes’ unless asked by the birth parent to say ‘no,’” Smith added. “For some adoptees, this will provide answers about their past that they would otherwise never be allowed to know,” said Representative Shallcross Smith, (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket), whose stepson is adopted.
A similar bill has been proposed in the Senate by Sen. Rhode Perry, a Democrat from the East Side of Providence. If passed, the law would take effect in a year.
