House Bill 963, introduced by Rep. Benninghoff, authorizes the Pennsylvania Bureau of Vital Statistics to disclose the original or amended copy of a birth certificate upon the written request of an adoptee age 18 or older. To view the bill, go to www.legis.state.pa.us and click on “Find Legislation by Bill No (HB 963).” The first several paragraphs of the bill are taken from the language in Senator Greenleaf’s bill passed last fall and provide for release of a summary only of the original birth record. Under paragraph (d) of Rep. Benninghoff’s bill, the adopted adult is entitled to receive a copy of his or her original birth certificate.
HB 963 has been assigned to the Committee on Children & Youth. At this time, we are asking that you contact the Majority Chair and Vice Chair of this Committee requesting that they schedule the bill for a hearing. Contact information is:
Rep. Dennis M. O’Brien
Chair, Children & Youth
Email: dobrien@pahousegop.com
Phone: 215-632-5150
or
If your legislator is a member of Children & Youth, you should also contact her or him.
Here is the message you should convey:
Currently, non-adopted people born in Pennsylvania can apply to the Bureau of
Vital Statistics, pay a $10.00 fee and get their birth certificate. Adopted people,
however, may only receive copies of their amended birth certificate, issued after
their adoptions were finalized. Their original birth certificate is sealed to them.
HB 963 would allow PA-born adopted adults to receive a copy of his or her
original birth certificate in exactly the same manner as every other citizen of the
Commonwealth. We urge you to schedule a hearing in the near future affording
members of the adoption community the opportunity to voice our support for HB
963.
Remember, the more voices that the legislators hear, the better chance we have of getting a hearing.
717-787-5689
Rep. Dan Moul
Vice Chair, Children & Youth
Email: dmoul@pahousegop.com
Phone: 717-334-3010
or
717-783-5217
0 comments:
Post a Comment