Tonight (May 25) the Connecticut Senate passed HB 6105, a bill that obliterates the state’s black hole where more than 38,000 Original Birth Certificates were tosssed into suspended animation. because the people they belonged to were born on the wrong day. Under a deform law passed over 15 years ago, those adopted on or after October 1, 1983 were granted full unretricted OBC access; those born before were forced to throw themselves on the mercy of a judge to maybe get a court order. Since then several attempts were made to right this wrong, and tonight Connecticut adoptees won.
HB 6105 already passed the House 115-28. It’s been sent back there for concurrence, which should be no problem. Then it heads to Governor Ned Lamont’s desk. There is no reason to believe that he won’t sign it. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2021.
HB 6105 was brought by Access Connecticut, an organization not affiliated with Bastard Nation. BN, however, has supported this bill and AC’s identical bills in the past. The bill enjoyed huge support from literally hundreds of organizations and individuals. You can read their submitted testimony in the Public Testimony Index. The only organization objection that we’ve seen came from Catholic Charities. Of course!
Tonight’s Senate floor debate included the usual objections: promises of “birthmother anonymity” (a relatively new linguistic twist on “privacy” and something that has never existed) and a re-hashed concern about abortion that was odd since that issue was settled when the current deform law passed.
The Senate debate video isn’t up yet, but we’ll add it here when it’s available.
When the bill is signed, Connecticut will officially become the 10th state to acknowledge the right of its adopted class to receive their own original birth certificates upon request and without restriction.
We are so happy and proud tonight for Connecticut adoptees. Good work Access Connecticut!! You held the line! Tale that.Arizona and Iowa,… It can be done!
Read more about Connecticut adoptee rights campaigns on our Connecticut page.
New York Adoptee Rights Coalition
