Overview of current state-level adoptee rights or adoption-related legislation in the United States for the 2025 legislative sessions. Federal legislation related to adopted people is here. Legislative maps and bill analysis for prior sessions are available for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Map and Bill Descriptions
Summaries and analysis provided by Gregory D. Luce. Current as of September 21, 2024. Color Key.
KEY: Active • Enacted • Dead/Carried Over
2025 Adoptee Rights Legislation (Domestic)
Active State Bills
KEY: Support | Neutral | Oppose | Impacts intercountry adoptees
Pennsylvania
HB2459/SB736 Eliminates redactions and other discriminatory provisions that are part of a relatively new law enacted in 2018. This bill has been in the works for months, and it does what’s needed to amend current law so that, if enacted, Pennsylvania-born adult adopted people will have a right to receive a copy of their own original birth certificate without any discriminatory provisions. Specifically, the bill eliminates the nutty creation of a “summary” document that lists information on the birth record but does not provide an actual copy of the record. The bill also eliminates a high school graduation (or equivalent) requirement to request your original birth record. And, importantly, the bill repeals the ability of a birthparent to redact information on the original birth record, while retaining the ability to file a genuine contact preference form. Introduced in the Senate by Republican Sen. Cris Dush (District 6) on behalf of a constituent, it has bi-partisan co-sponsorship with Democrat Jimmy Dillon (District 5). The Senate bill was voted out favorably from the Health and Human Services Committee. It has now been sitting in the Senate Appropriations Committee since November 2023. In the meantime, Rep. Tara Probst introduced the companion bill in the House, HB2459, where it is currently assigned to the Health Committee.
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