Vetoed by Governor Chris Christie

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes an adopted person to obtain a copy of the original certificate of birth.

Highlights:

• Requires the State Registrar to disclose the original certificate of birth when presented with the following (Sec. 1):
• Order of a court of competent jurisdiction; or
• A written, notarized request for an uncertified, long-form copy of the adopted person's original certificate of birth, which complies with existing statutory and executive orders to allow the identification of the requested information, submitted by:
• The adopted person 18 years of age or older;
• A direct descendant 18 years of age or older of the adopted person if the adopted person is deceased;
• The adoptive parent; or
• The guardian of a minor adopted person.

• Authorizes a birth parent of a person adopted prior to the enactment of this bill to submit to the State Registrar during the first 12 months of the enactment a written, notarized request for nondisclosure of the birth parent's name and home address (Sec. 2 & 3):
• Requires the birth parent, upon request for nondisclosure, to complete to the best of the birth parent's knowledge a family history form asking for medical, cultural, and social history regarding the birth parent; and
• Specifies that any request for nondisclosure shall be nullified if the family history form is not submitted to the State Registrar within 60 days of receipt.

• Authorizes a birth parent of a person adopted after the enactment of this bill to submit to the State Registrar a document indicating the birth parent's preference regarding contact with the adopted person (Sec. 4):
• Requires the birth parent who submits a document of contact preference to also complete a family history form asking for medical, cultural, and social history regarding the birth parent; and
• Requires the birth parent that indicates a preference of no contact to update the family history information every 10 years until the birth parent reaches the age of 40, and every 5 years thereafter.

• Requires the approved agency or intermediary that placed the person for adoption to provide any available non-identifying family medical history information regarding the adopted person upon receipt of request by (Sec. 10):
• An adopted person 18 years of age or older;
• A direct descendant 18 years of age or older of the adopted person if the adopted person is deceased; or
• The adoptive parent or guardian of a minor adopted person to request.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes an adopted person to obtain a copy of the original certificate of birth.

Highlights:

• Requires the State Registrar to disclose the original certificate of birth when presented with the following (Sec. 1):
• Order of a court of competent jurisdiction; or
• A written, notarized request for an uncertified, long-form copy of the adopted person's original certificate of birth, which complies with existing statutory and executive orders to allow the identification of the requested information, submitted by:
• The adopted person 18 years of age or older;
• A direct descendant 18 years of age or older of the adopted person if the adopted person is deceased;
• The adoptive parent; or
• The guardian of a minor adopted person.

• Authorizes a birth parent of a person adopted prior to the enactment of this bill to submit to the State Registrar during the first 12 months of the enactment a written, notarized request for nondisclosure of the birth parent's name and home address (Sec. 2 & 3):
• Requires the birth parent, upon request for nondisclosure, to complete to the best of the birth parent's knowledge a family history form asking for medical, cultural, and social history regarding the birth parent; and
• Specifies that any request for nondisclosure shall be nullified if the family history form is not submitted to the State Registrar within 60 days of receipt.

• Authorizes a birth parent of a person adopted after the enactment of this bill to submit to the State Registrar a document indicating the birth parent's preference regarding contact with the adopted person (Sec. 4):
• Requires the birth parent who submits a document of contact preference to also complete a family history form asking for medical, cultural, and social history regarding the birth parent; and
• Requires the birth parent that indicates a preference of no contact to update the family history information every 10 years until the birth parent reaches the age of 40, and every 5 years thereafter.

• Requires the approved agency or intermediary that placed the person for adoption to provide any available non-identifying family medical history information regarding the adopted person upon receipt of request by (Sec. 10):
• An adopted person 18 years of age or older;
• A direct descendant 18 years of age or older of the adopted person if the adopted person is deceased; or
• The adoptive parent or guardian of a minor adopted person to request.

Full Bill Text