From:    Donna.
To:      All                                    Msg #65, 01:57am Jan-20-91
Subject: Adoption Legislation


*Originally posted on the ADOPTEES Echo
* Date: 09 Jan 91 18:19:05
* From: John Goldberg
* Subj: LEGISLATION

1990 was a year of wins and losses for adoptees, birthparents and adoptive
parents.  We won a complicated bill giving most of Hawaii triad members
access to records.  Adoption Circle of Hawaii and the AAC lobbied hard for
the bill and won early in the year.  The holiday season was a sad time for
Alabama triad members.  The records closed in that state at the end of the
year.  We didn't have the organizational or financial resources there to
stop it.

Adoption reform activists in Ohio and Pennsylvania wisely withdrew bills in
those states near the end of their legislative sessions rather than see the
bills get amended beyond recognition.  Open records for adult adoptees
became a subject of dinner conversation among legislators in Pennsylvania
while the Ohio adult adoptee bill suffered from an attack from National
Right-to-Life, Inc.  The National Committee for Adoption (NCFA) attacked
the bills in both states and Pennsylvania activists called for a boycott of
NCFA member agencies there.

California activists fought hard for an open records bill for adult
adoptees and birthparents there.  It passed in the Assembly (House) and in
one out of the two necessary committees in the Senate.  It was expected to
pass the Senate and be signed by the Governor but was killed in committee
after two adoption agencies opposed it and a scare campaign was waged by
the NCFA (Open Records Destroy Lives).

Indiana activists used their legislature's study session to educate state
legislators on the issues in preparation for the re-introduction of an open
records bill for adult adoptees and birthparents there.  Michigan activists
worked closely together for an open records bill for triad members in their
state.

New Jersey's efforts for open records for adult adoptees stalled in
committee but activists changed strategies and targeted legislative
leadership.  Oregon activists prepared to re-introduce open records
legislation for adult adoptees and birth and adoptive family members and
Idaho activists met with legislators about access to non-identifying
information.

Georgia and the state of Washington passed intermediary bills in 1990 while
Rhode Island activists lost a campaign for open records for adult adoptees.
South Carolina activists were able to get a provision of the state's
registry law amended to eliminate the adoptive parents' right to prevent
reunions.

From:    Donna.
Subject: Re: Adoption Legislation


Just wanted to highlight a phrase or two from that piece:

> bills get amended beyond recognition.  Open records for adult adoptees
> became a subject of dinner conversation among legislators in Pennsylvania
> while the Ohio adult adoptee bill suffered from an attack from National
> Right-to-Life, Inc.  The National Committee for Adoption (NCFA) attacked
> the bills in both states and Pennsylvania activists called for a boycott of
> NCFA member agencies there.

Notice the committees who are opposing open-records laws for adult
adoptees: National Right-to-Life, Inc. and National Committee for Adoption.
Now, is it just me, or aren't these two organizations that are *supposedly*
interested IN THE KIDS?  But these kids often grow up into adults who
desperately want to know who they are, where they came from, etc....

> California activists fought hard for an open records bill for adult
> adoptees and birthparents there.  It passed in the Assembly (House) and in
> one out of the two necessary committees in the Senate.  It was expected to
> pass the Senate and be signed by the Governor but was killed in committee
> after two adoption agencies opposed it and a scare campaign was waged by
> the NCFA (Open Records Destroy Lives).

And notice the campaign by the NCFA to destroy an open-records bill in
California.  Methinks that we don't have many folks here who are that much
into adoption stuff, but most health care professionals have
disproportionate numbers of adoptees within their care.  A few agencies
that routinely handle open adoptions (killing the secrets before they've
ever started) have been doing this long enough that long-range studies are
now feasible.... and the initial reports are that children of open
adoptions are fairing much better, in general, than children of closed,
secret adoptions within the same age range.

WHAT was it that destroys lives?   Harrumph!