Adoption rules are changing

Rep. Allen Andrews

House members spent Wednesday morning discussing the merits of a bill that I was proud to co-sponsor which is designed to provide adoptees in Missouri with access to their birth certificates when they turn 18.

The Missouri Adoptee Rights Act is designed to ease current requirements that restrict access to birth certificates for those who have been adopted.

Under current Missouri law, adoptees are only allowed to access information to identify a biological parent when the parent consents or dies.

The bill approved by the House would give adoptees a simple process to obtain a birth certificate without first needing to obtain a court order. In effect, it would allow an adopted person to apply for an original birth certificate as long as the applicant is at least 18 years old, was born in Missouri, and has proper proof of identity.

Proponents of the change said that Missouri has more than 500,000 adoptees who deserve to have a chance to have a relationship with their birth parents, and who deserve better access to information that may help them answer questions about their own health.

As always, it is my privilege to serve you!