Sacramento – Today, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma’s (D-San Francisco) AB 372 unanimously passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, 10-0. AB 372 will provide adult adoptees over the age of 25 the ability to obtain their original birth certificate.

“I believe an individual has a fundamental right to know who s/he is and their family medical history,” states Ma.  “AB372 strikes a delicate balance between the needs of adoptees and privacy concerns of birth parents.”

Often, adoptees in California face many hurdles while trying to obtain their original birth certificates. Current law allows an adult adoptee access to their pre-adoption records only through a court petition however this avenue is not guaranteed.  And those adoptees with substantial financial means can hire private investigators and hope their efforts turn up successful.  AB 372 seeks to address the imbalance between those who can afford this process and those who cannot.

Over the past decade, other states including Oregon, New Hampshire and Delaware have implemented laws which allow an adult adoptee unrestricted access to their original birth certificate. At least ten other states including New York, Illinois, and Okalahoma are currently considering similar provisions.

Prior to the hearing, Assemblywoman Ma was joined in support by members of the California Adoption Reform Effort, the American Adoption Congress, Concerned United Birthparents, and Post Adoption Center for Education and Research (PACER), as she discussed her bill to provide more equitable access to original birth records for adult adoptees.

AB 372 will next be heard in Assembly Appropriations Committee.