Are you impacted by adoption? Please share your thoughts about a proposal to expand information access for adopted people in Vermont.
The Vermont Legislature is currently considering a bill, H.629, that would change the current rules for people who were adopted in Vermont. The proposal would expand access for adopted people to identifying information about their birth/first/biological parents and to their original birth certificate upon reaching adulthood.
Under current law, adopted people who have reached adulthood can have access to identifying information and a non-certified copy of their original birth certificate only under certain circumstances. People adopted before July 1, 1986 have access only if their birth/first/biological parent has explicitly consented to them having it. People who were adopted on or after July 1, 1986 can have access if their birth/first/biological parent has simply not objected.
The proposed law would apply the same rules to all adopted adults, regardless of when they were adopted.
The proposal would not expand access to the public, only to the adopted person, or if deceased, a descendent of the adopted person. The proposal would not expand the kinds of information that can be released to an adopted person upon request but would change the circumstances when the information can be released.
The Vermont Commission on Women wants to hear from people impacted by adoption about this proposal. Take the survey now: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RYVK5CK
VCW will share a summary of responses with policymakers.