Massachusetts State Senate Bill 959

Hi All, The following is a press release from a well known adoptee rights organization regarding Mass SB 959. I'm lending my support to it because I believe my children and all adopted persons should be able to have access to their OBCs just as I do and every other adult over the age of 18 has in the Commonwealth. ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25th, THE MASSACHUSETTS COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILIES WILL VOTE ON SB 959. THIS BILL, AS WRITTEN, WILL ALLOW ADULT ADOPTEES TO ACCESS THEIR ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES IN THE SAME MANNER AS ALL NON-ADOPTED ADULTS. It is imperative that we remind the committee members that SB 959 has very strong support. Please call and Email the Committee members. Urge them to vote YES on SB959, as written. Your letters can help Massachusetts become the 6th state to restore unconditional access to adult adoptees' birth certificates. [Contact Information appears below.] Read the full text of SB959: [url]http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/st00/st00959.htm[/url] BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON OCTOBER 27, 2005, THE JOINT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COMMITTEE heard testimony on SB959. SB 959 had solid support at the hearing and its supporters believe that the bill was received favorably by the Committee in October. SB 959 will allow birth parents to file a contact preference form stating their wishes. These forms will be attached to the original birth certificate but will NOT have any bearing upon whether or not adoptees can receive their original birth certificates. SB 959 will give back this right to ALL adopted citizens. SB959 is very similar to New Hampshire's law that went into effect on January 3, 2005. Well over 700 hundred original birth certificates have been issued to New Hampshire adoptees during the past year and all is well. No problems. History tells us that original birth certificates were NOT sealed to protect the confidentiality of birth mothers. The original birth certificate of a child born to a mother who either relinquished all legal rights to her child or who had her parental rights terminated by the court is never sealed at that time. Only if and when that child is legally adopted by another family is the original birth certificate impounded. Original birth certificates will not be made public information. With SB959 the certificate will be issued only to those adult adoptees 18 years of age or older who make a written request. PLEASE WRITE OR CALL the Representatives of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Children and Families and ask them to vote YES on SB959 CONTACT INFORMATION RAPID EMAIL CUT AND PASTE SENATORS; Karen.E.Spilka@state.ma.us, Thomas.McGee@state.ma.us, Frederick.Berry@state.ma.us , Frederick.Berry@state.ma.us, Pamela.Resor@state.ma.us, Steven.Baddour@state.ma.us , Bruce.Tarr@state.ma.us REPRESENTATIVES; Rep.StephenLeDuc@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.AnnePaulsen@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.CoryAtkins@hou.state.ma.us, Deborah.Blumer@state.ma.us, Rep.BarbaraL'Italien@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.JohnScibak@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.PatrickNatale@Hou.State.MA.US, Rep.TomSannicandro@Hou.State.MA.US, Rep.JohnLepper@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.VinnyDemacedo@hou.state.ma.us Senator Karen Spilka - Karen.E.Spilka@state.ma.us, (617) 722-1640 Senator Thomas McGee - Thomas.McGee@state.ma.us (617) 722-1350 Senator Frederick Berry - Frederick.Berry@state.ma.us 617) 722-1410 Senator Pamela Resor - Pamela.Resor@state.ma.us (617) 722-1120 Senator Steven Baddour - Steven.Baddour@state.ma.us (617) 722-1604 Senator Bruce Tarr - Bruce.Tarr@state.ma.us (617) 722-1600 Representative Shirley Owens-Hicks - no listed email (617) 722-2011 Representative Stephen LeDuc - Rep.StephenLeDuc@hou.state.ma.us (617) 722-2011 Representative Anne Paulsen - Rep.AnnePaulsen@hou.state.ma.us (617) 722-2140 Representative Cory Atkins - Rep.CoryAtkins@hou.state.ma.us (617 722- 2013 Representative Deborah Blumer - Deborah.Blumer@state.ma.us (617) 722-2400 Representative Barbara L'Italien- Rep.BarbaraL'Italien@hou.state.ma.us (617)722-2080 Representative John Scibak - Rep.JohnScibak@hou.state.ma.us (617-722-2220 Representative Patrick Natale - Rep.PatrickNatale@Hou.State.MA.US (617-722-2810 Representative Tom Sannicandro Rep.TomSannicandro@Hou.State.MA.US (617-722-2090 Representative John Lepper - Rep.JohnLepper@hou.state.ma.us (617) 722-2100 Representative Vinny Demacedo-Rep.VinnyDemacedo@hou.state.ma.us (617)722-2100 CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILIES Committee on Children & Families Rep. Shirley Owens-Hicks State House, Rm. 167 Boston, MA 02133 (617) 722-2011