Birth parents to remain anonymous

In an emotional debate, the House in a close vote killed a bill that would have allowed an adult adoptee to move through the courts to make contact with their birth parents or parent.

HB289 failed in a 35-36 vote with four members absent.

The bill would allow someone who is adopted — after 30 years — to ask the courts or the adoption agency to contact their birth parent to see if that person wanted to meet and get to know their child.

Sponsor Rep. Ken Sumsion, R-American Fork, said his bill was a small step that would give those adoptees, now that they are older, more life experience, to have an immediate contact their birth parent in their stead.

But Sumsion said that the LDS Church's own adoption agency is against the bill. And a number of legislators said they believe the birth parent and his or her new family should be shielded from such contacts.

"It could be devastating, you get a knock on your door 30 years later," Rep. Julie Fisher, R-Fruit Heights, said. "Your other family members may have never been told there was a child before them."

Rep. Ronda Rudd Menlove, R-Garland, said she has talked with young pregnant women, and she feared that the possibility that 30 years later someone could knock on their door and enter an adopted child into their and their families' lives, could be one more reason to have an abortion and not go through the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption.

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