AB 372, NEW LANGUAGE
[UPDATE, 3-7-09: Amended AB 372 can be found here]
Assemblywoman Fiona Ma's office released new amended language for AB 372 this afternoon. The legislative web site hasn't updated the status of AB 372 yet but as soon as it does I will post a link to the amended bill. The amendments are substantial, and create a clean bill that creates a process by which adult adoptees may access their unaltered original birth certificates through the State Registrar, and provides a Contact Preference Form, similar to Oregon, for first parents. The amendments strike out the original language revising the petitioning of records through the courts.
The amendment sets the age at which adult adoptees may access their OBCs at twenty-five (not eighteen, not twenty-one). There is also a lengthy subsection attached to the CPF regarding medical histories. If a first parent checks off that they don't wish to be contacted, they are given the option of completing a long list of questions about their health. It looks like the form you fill out the first time you visit a caregiver. I wonder if this violates federal HIPAA rules. I've got some queries out about this and will report back what I find out.
So, that's what I know right now. I have a pdf of a scanned fax of the new language, but I'd prefer to wait and see the new language in its published form before I comment further.
I will say that Assemblywoman Ma and her staff have been listening to everyone who has been commenting, analyzing and sending in sample law from other states, and that's a good thing.
Assemblywoman Fiona Ma's office released new amended language for AB 372 this afternoon. The legislative web site hasn't updated the status of AB 372 yet but as soon as it does I will post a link to the amended bill. The amendments are substantial, and create a clean bill that creates a process by which adult adoptees may access their unaltered original birth certificates through the State Registrar, and provides a Contact Preference Form, similar to Oregon, for first parents. The amendments strike out the original language revising the petitioning of records through the courts.
The amendment sets the age at which adult adoptees may access their OBCs at twenty-five (not eighteen, not twenty-one). There is also a lengthy subsection attached to the CPF regarding medical histories. If a first parent checks off that they don't wish to be contacted, they are given the option of completing a long list of questions about their health. It looks like the form you fill out the first time you visit a caregiver. I wonder if this violates federal HIPAA rules. I've got some queries out about this and will report back what I find out.
So, that's what I know right now. I have a pdf of a scanned fax of the new language, but I'd prefer to wait and see the new language in its published form before I comment further.
I will say that Assemblywoman Ma and her staff have been listening to everyone who has been commenting, analyzing and sending in sample law from other states, and that's a good thing.
#30#
Labels: AB 372, adoptee rights, Assemlywoman Ma, HIPAA
posted by BB Church at 7:14 PM
3 Comments:
And a 10-4 to that detective BB, as usual clean and to the point with your other posts. I'm uneasy about the 25 y/o, but happy about the unconditional access beyond that. Can't wait to see it once up :)
Nothing about the rights of the descendents of deceased adoptees. The rights should at least be on par with the descendents of deceased non-adoptees.
This is good news, BB. Maybe some of my questions will finally be answered, and favorably! Thanks for keeping track of things.
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