The following excerpt was posted Nov. 8, 2021 at the metrowestdailynews.com website.
BOSTON — All adopted persons born in Massachusetts would have a way to access their original birth certificate under a bill the House passed last week, which advocates say grants adopted persons equity and fairness.
The legislation, filed by state Reps. Sean Garballey, D-Arlington, and Kate Hogan, D-Stow, would close a 34-year period where persons born during that timeframe cannot access their original birth certificate without a court order. An adopted child himself, Garballey said he is “ecstatic” that the House passed the bill.
“From my perspective, (the bill) ensures equality and dignity for all those adopted in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” he told the News Service. “To me, this is a matter of fairness and it helps adopted people in Massachusetts learn about their own personal and medical history, which is so critical.”
Under current state law, an adopted person born between July 17, 1974 and Jan. 1, 2008 cannot access their original birth certificate without obtaining a court order that unseals the record. Adopted persons outside of that window can access their original birth certificate once they turn 18 or with the help of their adoptive parents.
The legislation would erase the gap and allow adopted persons over the age of 18 to access their original birth certificate or the adopted parents of a child under 18 to access the document.