We do all the tedious work so you don’t have to.
All information is taken from official state legislative pages unless otherwise indicated. We also link each bill to LegiScan, an easy way to check on bills. For more information on these bills, click on the appropriate links. Go to individual State Pages for more details on state actions. such as Action Alerts, testimonies, reports, and news stories. BN submits testimony and letters regularly to legislatures, but these documents will not go live until after a hearing or floor vote has taken place. Depending on state rules, some bills may be renumbered during sessions or when they are carried over from a previous session. Reported by Marley Greiner (additions and corrections are welcome!)
Prior legislative sessions: 2024! 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014
2025 State Legislative Schedules and dates
Original Birth Certificate and Adoption Records
Summary: Unrestricted access for all Georgia-born adoptees at the age of 18. It also applies to an adopted person’s parent, sibling, or descendant, if the adoptee is deceased. Bill passed the Senate but didn’t get a floor vote before the end of the session. This is the third time this bil has been introduced. In 2023 it passed The Senate and got tied up in the House and failed to reach the deadline for a floor vote. There seems to be no opposition.
Sponsor: Sen Randy Robertson
Oppose:
Support: Bastard Nation, Texas Adoptee Rights Coalition, Adoptee Rights Law Center, Georgia Aliance for Adoptee Rights
Actions
- February 6, 2025: 1st Reading; Referred to Senate Committee
- February 18, 2025: Passed favorable in Senate Committee; 2nd reading in Senate
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Summary: Rehash of last year’s adopteephobic discriminatory awful bill except the requirement that adoptees could not apply for their OBCs until they were 40 years of age has been eliminated. This bill allows any Idaho-born adopted person to request their own OBC, through the state adoption registry. This, however, doesn’t mean they will get it. Birthparents registered will be notified by the registry that a match has been made and given 30 days to return a Contact Preference Form, which includes the renewable option, good for 5 years, for birthparents to request the state to redact their name before the release of the document.
Sponsor: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee
Oppose: Bastard Nation, Adoptee Rights Law Center, Adoptees United
Support: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee
Actions
January 24, 2025: Introduce; 1st Reading;
January 27, 2025: Referred to House Judiciary, Rules & Administration Committee
February 14, 2025: Reported favorably out of House Judiciary, Rules & Administration Committee
February 20. 2025: House Voted. Passed 64-4-0
February 21, 2024: Filed and Introduced in Senate. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Rules Committe
HB1395 Legislative Page Legiscan
Summary: Another attempt to restore the right of Mississippi-born adopted people to obtain a copy of their original birth certificates. The bill is a little confusing, but it appears that the OBC will be released without restriction to those 21 and older. A Contact Preference Form is included in the bill, but if a parent forbids contact, the OBC will still be released, although other identifying information will not.
Sponsor: Rep Billy Calvert
Oppose:
Support: Bastard Nation (waiting for confirmation from other organizations)
Actions:
January 20, 2025: Introduced; Referred to House Judiciary Committee B
February 4, 2025: DEAD. Died in Committee
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SB2284 Legislative Page Legiscan
Summary: Restores the right of adopted people 18 and over, without restrictions or conditions. It also releases a certified copy of the adoption decree and any parental identification included on it. Also allows adopted people to receive a copy of an amended BC if an adoption has been vacated or annulled. The bill has bi-partisan support, but both houses are overwhelming Republican.
Sponsor: Sen Kathy Hogan (D), Rep Gretchen Dobervich (D). Sen Carrie McLeod (R). Sen SuAnn Olson (R), Sen Desiree VanOosting (R). Sen Mark F Weber
Oppose: In 2017 the Catholic Conference of North Dakota and Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota opposed a similar bill. Current Opposition: Catholic Conference of North Dakota; North Dakota Right to Life, Christian Adoption Agency.
Support: Bastard Nation, Adoptee Rights Law Center, Adoptees United. ND Adoptee Rights has not posted on FB since mid-2022.
Actions:
January 20, 2025: Introduced; 1st reading; Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
February 4, 2025: Hearing Senate Judiciary Committee. Reported back Do Not Pass, 7-0.
February 5, 2025: Senate floor vote. Defeated. 5-40. Dead
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HB 536 Legislative Page Legiscan
Summary: Amends current Pennsyvania access laws that release a ridiculous “summary document” of information taken from the OBC and replaces it with access to OBC with no restrictions or conditions; eliminates requirement that adoptee be a high school graduate or equivalent to receive the OBC; eliminates birthparent redaction privilege.
Sponsor: Rep Tara Probst
Support: Bastard Nation, Texas Adoptee Rights Coalition, Adoptee Rights Law Center
Oppose:
Actions:
February 10, 2025: Introduced; Referred to House Heath Committee
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HB102 Legislative Page Legiscan
Summary: Lowers age from 21 to 18 for adopted people born in Tennessee to receive their adoption records; allows release of adoption records that indicate the biological parent was the victim of and/or incest and is deceased; allows release of adoption records to the adoptive parents if the adoptee is under 18. Very long summary here
Sponsor: Rep William Lamberth (R), Rep Mark Cochran (R)
Oppose:
Support
Actions:
January 14, 2025: Introduced; waiting assignment
January 28, 2025: Referred to House Family Affairs Subcommittee
February 11, 2025: Hearing scheduled in House Family Affairs Subcommittee
February 24, 2025: House Floor: Passed 50-0
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HB1887 Legislative Page Legiscan
Summary: Restores the right of Texas-born adoptees 18 and older to obtain their OBCs. If also allows adult sibling; surviving spouses, and adoptive parents to obtain a copy of the document if the adoptee is deceased. This is the latest attempt to rescue OBCs from the grubby fingers of the Texas adoption industry and their friends in Senate–specifically Dr. Donna Campbell, who has chosen this hill to die on. These bills have no problem passing in the House
Sponsor: Rep William Metcalf (R)
Oppose:
Support: Bastard Nation, Texas Adoptee Rights Coalition, Adoptee Rights Law Center, Gladney Adoptees for Rights and Equality, TxSTAR, TxCare
Actions:
January 16, 2025: Introduced
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HB129 Legislative Page Legiscan
Summary: Restores the right of Utah-born adopted people to their OBCs and other adoption documents, defined under current Utah law to include “adoption-related documents filed with the office, a petition for adoption, a decree of adoption, an original birth certificate, or evidence submitted in support of a supplementary birth certificate.” February 7, 2025 Sub Bill: Disclosure Veto right to birthmothers, through court petition and proving of “fear” and “harm” if the record is opened to the adoptee. “Harm” is not defined. Passed 72-0-3
Sponsor: Rep Raymond P Ward (R). Sen Heidi Balderree (R)
Oppose: Bastard Nation, Adoptee Rights Law Center, Adoptees United. We do not support HB 129-S-1 but support the effort to revive the original HB 129 in the Senate. The original bill did not revive and we do not support the sub
Support:
Actions:
January 21, 2025: Introduced in House Rules Committee; 1st Reading, Referred to House Judiciary Committee
January 23, 2025: Received in Standing Committee of House Judiciary Committee
January 29, 2025: House Judiciary Committee; Vote Favorable. 9-1-1
January 30, 2025: House 2nd Reading
February 7, 2025: 3rd Reading, House Vote. Draconian sub bill introduced on floor and passed 72-0-3 (See above). Introduced in Senate; 1st reading.
February 11,2025: Referred to Senate Health and Human Services Commitee
February 20, 2025: Vote on Senate floor with non substantive amendments. Passed 24-0-5.
February 21, 2025: House concurrence, passed 5–9-1
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Summary: Nearly Identical to last session’s bill that passed House 66-32. Unrestricted access for all Virginia-born adoptees at the age of 18 with no restrictions or conditions. The ony change from last session is the addition of a Cntact Preference Form, which does not restrict access.
Sponsor: Pat. Wendell Walker
Support: Bastard Nation, Adoptee Rights Law Center, Adoptees United, Capitol Adoptee Rights Coalition, Children’s Home Society of Virginia, C2 Adoptions, Virginia Adoptee Rights Alliance
Oppose:
Actions
January 7, 2025: Prefiled: Referred to House Health and Human Services Committee
January 14, 2025: Referred to House Behavioral Health Subcommittee
January 23, 2025: House Behavioral Health Subcommittee recommends 6-2; Sent to House Health and Human Services Committee
January 28, 2025: House Behavioral Commitee Passed
January 30, 2025: House Floor: 1st Reading
January 31, 2025: House Floor 2nd Reading
February 3, 2025: Scheduled for House Floor vote. Passed 99-0
February 4, 2025: Referred to Senate Education and Health Committee
February 11, 2025: Hearing scheduled in Senate Education Sub Health. Bill effectively dead.
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ADOPTEE-RELATED BILL YOU MIGHT TO INTERESTED IN
Coming Soon!
Traditional Safe Haven Bills
- Idaho
HB1058 LegisPage
- HB 1058 Summary Amends Idaho’s SH/SHBB law to require the health and welfare department to transfer custody and care over to an approved adoption agency for placement with adoptive parents within 24 hours of the drop-off unless infant is required to stay in the hospital for treatment. If there is a belief or knowledge that child is Indian, the agency must immediately send an ICWA notice to the tribe it belongs to, any tribe, or BIA
- Sponsor: Senate Health and Welfare Committee
- Support:
- Oppose: Bastard Nation, Adoptees United, Adoptee Rights Law Center,
- Actions:
- February 5, 2025: Introduced
- February 6, 2025: Referred to Health and Welfare Committee
- February 20, 2025: Senate Health and Welfare Committee votes Do Pass
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- Indiana
HB1099 Legislative Page Legscan
Summary: Indiana and SHBB Inc are at it again. This time to raise the age of babies eligible for safe haven “relinquishment” from 30 to 60 days. The biill also repeals the definition of “abandoned infant” and amends definition of “foster youth.” According to Legislative Services Report the bill could potentially affect the DCS family case manager workload to the extent the policy and procedures for an abandoned infant are different than a safe haven infant.
Sponsor: Rep Dale DeVon (R)
Support: SHBB Inc
Oppose: Oppose expansion of age.
Actions:
- January 8, 2025: First reading: referred to Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs
- January 29, 2025: Hearing in House Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee
- January 30, 2025: House Family, Children and Human Affairs Commitee votes Do Pass
- February 4, 2025: Passed House, 90-0
- February 5, 2025: Referred to Senate
- February 8. 2025: 1st reading; Referred to Senate Family, Children, and Human Affairs
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HB1311 Legislative Page Legiscan
HB1311 Summary: Provides that when the department of child services (department) or a licensed child placing agency takes custody of a child who is voluntarily left with an emergency services provider or in a newborn safety device, the department or licensed child placing agency shall: (1) not later than 72 hours after taking custody of the child, contact each licensed child placing agency in Indiana and request that the licensed child placing agency inform the department of any suitable prospective adoptive parent for the child known to the licensed child placing agency; and (2) collaborate with licensed child placing agencies to identify a prospective adoptive parent for the child. Requires the department to: (1) request that the Indiana department of health conduct one or more searches of the putative child registry on behalf of the child before a petition is filed to terminate parental rights with regard to the child, with at least one request being made not earlier than 30 days after the estimated date of birth of the child; and (2) notify an individual identified as a potential father by the registry search that the individual’s consent to termination of the parent-child relationship will be irrevocably implied if the individual does not file a paternity action with regard to the child. Provides that when considering an out-of-home placement for the child during child in need of services proceedings, if a court, the department, or the licensed child placing agency is unable to locate a suitable and willing relative (or de facto custodian, if applicable) with whom to place the child, the court or the department shall consider placing the child with a prospective adoptive parent before considering any other placement for the child. Requires that a child’s case plan include certain information. (NOTE: Current Indians law permits a SH and SHBB locations to contact adoption agencies for permanent placement; they are not required to inform state social service agencies of the event.
Sponsor: Rep Ryan Lauer
Support:
Oppose:
Actions:
January 13, 2025: Introduced; 1st Reading; Referred to House Judiciary Committee
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SB 121 Legislative Page Legiscan
Summary: Amends the current South Carolina Safe Haven Law to clarify procedures and practices at safe haven drop off locations, social and adoption services and courts. Requires drop-off locations to offer written information those persons using SH on the legal consequences the doing so. Long summary here.
Sponsor: Sen Billy Garett (R)
Oppose:
Support:
Actions:
January 14, 2025: Introduced;1st reading; Referred to Senate Family and Veterans’ Services Committee
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Safe Haven Baby Box Bills
Many Safe Haven Baby Box bills have been introduced this year.
Please go to the Legislation Page at the top Stop Haven Baby Boxes Now! website for detailed legislative information as well as many other details, including individual state pages.
Federal Legislation
Most federal legislation does not pertain to adoptee civil rights directly, but we are featuring several bills that are connected to the activist concerns and our community.
HR8617 / SB4448 Equal Citizenship for Children Act of 2024-sponsored by Rep Adam Smith and Sen Maizie Hirono Carried over from 2023. Currently in the House Judiciary Committee.
This bill expands the application of automatic acquisition of citizenship for certain children born outside of the United States. Specifically, the bill provides citizenship retroactively to such a child who, while under the age of 18, (1) resided in the United States as a lawful permanent resident (or had a pending application for such status), and (2) was in the legal custody of the child’s citizen parent. It also eliminates the physical custody requirement for the automatic acquisition of citizenship. The bill applies to a child meeting these requirements who was born after noon on January 9, 1941, but who turned 18 before February 27, 2001 (the effective date of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000).
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HR6700 Adoption Counts Act sponsored by Rep Doug Lamborn. (December 11, 2023). Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
Would you believe that nobody really knows how many adoptions take place in the US each year? We would! The bill intends to fix this by requiring state courts to report the number of private adoptions performed each year to the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Data collected will include age at time of adoption, whether adoption is by step-parent, legal guardian, unrelated person, or gestational surrogacy. Covers domestic and international cases.
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HR6220 ADOPT Act (Adoption Deserves Oversight, Protection, and Transparency Act of 2023) sponsored by Rep Ann M Kuster. (November 11, 2023) Currently in House Judiciary Committee.
Reigns in non-licensed for-profit adoption intermediaries, aka brokers, by (1) prohibiting adoption advertising and paid private adoption services unless they are through a licensed child-placing agency or licensed attorney; and (2) restricting payments to birthmothers unless the payments are made through a licensed provider in the state where the mother lives.
Updated February 8. 2025
