Adoptees may receive chance to find parents

Adult adoptees would be able to find the identity of their birth parents in some cases under proposed legislation for the 2006 legislative session.

Sponsored by Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, the bill would allow the release of an original birth certificate to an adult adoptee, assuming the birth parents have not filed an affidavit prohibiting the disclosure with the Utah Department of Health.

Holdaway presented a draft of his bill to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee for consideration this week.

The legislation was spurred by a constituent who was adopted when he was 2 months old, Holdaway said. The man's efforts to find his birth parents were stymied by current law, which prohibits the release of information absent a court order or without birth parents previously registering with the state adoption registry.

The constituent's sister, who was also adopted as a newborn, told lawmakers Wednesday that her brother simply wants to know his ethnic background. The woman is also interested in finding her birth parents to learn about her family medical history in anticipation of starting a family of her own.

"Whatever the reason, adult adoptees should have more options than they have today," the woman said.

Under the proposed legislation, birth parents would be allowed to file an affidavit of nondisclosure with the state Department of Vital Records if they did not want their information released. They would also be allowed to change that status at any time, should they change their mind, Holdaway said.

If passed, the new rules would be effective for adoptions finalized after Jan. 1, 2007. They would not be retroactive.