Allowing adults who were adopted as children to have access to original birth certificates and medical records of biological parents.

              INTERIM STUDY REPORT
Human Services Committee
Pam Peterson, Chairperson
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Interim Study 11-065, Rep. Purcy Walker
October 20, 2011
Allowing adults who were adopted as children to have access to original birth certificates and
medical records of biological parents.
Mr. Casey Paxton on behalf of Mrs. Karla Paxton an adult adoptee
o Adult adoptees have a right to know who they are and what their biological family’s
medical history is, as do the adoptee’s children and grandchildren.
o Adoptees are the only people who do not have the right to their original birth certificate.
Ms. Mary Payne, adoptee
o Closed birth records go back to the Illinois legislature in 1915 when birth parents were
prohibited from listed on the birth certificate of a child to be adopted.
o Discussed the history of placing adoptive parent’s names on the birth certificate and
sealing the original records.
o Currently, an adoptee can petition the court to open the birth records for good cause
shown, but judges rarely find on behalf of the petitioner.
Ms. Samantha Franklin, adoptee
o Was adopted in Tulsa in 1960’s.
o The mutual consent registry created by the Oklahoma Legislature in the late 1990’s was
believed to have solved the problem created by sealed birth records, but the birth mothers
don’t always have accurate information.
o The New Hampshire Legislature enacted legislation providing for unconditional access to
original birth certificates.
o The law allows for a contact preference form to be completed by the birth mom
indicating whether she is open to contact or not, but it does not limit access to the birth
certificate.
o In the seven states that allow access to the birth certificates, abortion rates have gone
down 12-15% and adoption rates are going up.
Ms. Pat Marler, adoptee
o Adult adoptees are deprived of their identity.
o Unconditionally opening birth certificates to adult adoptees is a civil right.
o When the state withholds the birth certificate it is treating the adoptee like a perpetual
child.
o There is no evidence that opening up birth certificates will increase abortion rates or
decrease adoption rates.
Ms. Rhonda Noonan, mental health therapist and adoptee
o Had to play games with the system in order to gain access to her original birth certificate.
o The birth certificate is rightly theirs; it was stolen from them by an archaic and inhuman
system.
o Composite of my adopted family and my biological family.