HB 1907 -- Adoption Records

Sponsor:  Stevenson

This bill changes the laws regarding adoption records.  For
adoptions instituted or completed on or after August 28, 2010,
the bill:

(1)  Allows any adopted person who is at least 18 years of age to
submit an application to the State Registrar and, upon receiving
the application, be issued a copy of his or her original,
unaltered birth certificate and adoption records.  Currently, the
registrar can only open an adoption file if a certified copy of a
court order has been issued;

(2)  Allows an adopted person, the adopted person's attorney, or
the adopted person's descendants, if the adopted person is
deceased, to obtain a copy of the adopted person's original birth
certificate from the State Registrar upon written application and
the appropriate proof of identification.  The adopted person must
be at least 18 years of age and have been born in Missouri;

(3)  Requires the State Registrar to develop and, upon request,
provide each birth parent with a contact preference form and a
medical history form.  If a contact preference form is filed with
the registrar, a medical history form must also be filed;

(4)  Requires the State Registrar, upon receipt of the completed
contact preference and medical history forms, to attach the forms
to the original birth certificate of the adopted person.
Completed contact preference and medical history forms have the
same level of confidentiality as the original birth certificate;
and

(5)  Requires the adopted person to agree in writing to abide by
the birth parent's preference stated in the contact preference
form if it is attached to the adopted person's original birth
certificate.  The State Registrar must also provide a medical
history form if it was completed by the birth parent.

For adoptions instituted or completed prior to August 28, 2010,
the bill:

(1)  Requires a copy of the medical history form, which has had
all identifying information redacted, to be issued to the adopted
person;

(2)  Requires the State Registrar to release the original birth
certificate only if the birth mother is deceased.  If the birth
mother is not deceased, the registrar must, within three months
of application by the adopted person, make reasonable efforts to
contact the birth mother via telephone, personally and
confidentially, to obtain the birth mother's consent or denial to
release the original birth certificate.  The registrar may charge
the actual costs of the search for the birth mother to the
adopted person; and

(3)  Allows the adopted person, if the birth mother could not be
contacted, to re-apply for a copy of his or her original birth
certificate within one year from the end of the three-month
period during which the attempted contact with the birth mother
was previously made.  The State Register must not release the
certificate of birth until the birth mother submits a subsequent
written consent for release.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:12 pm