It’s official!
Governor Charlie Baker has signed H2294/S1140 making Massachusetts the 13th state (and third this year) to acknowledge and codify the right of all of its state-born adopted people at age 18 to obtain without conditions or restrictions their original birth certificates upon request. Current law bars those born between July 17, 1974, and January 1, 2008, to obtain the document without a court order. The new law goes into effect on November 3, 2022.
The procedure on how to obtain OBCs has not been released, but it is assumed it will follow the state’s current procedure for those already “qualified” to obtain theirs. We will update this information on our Massachusetts state page when we know.
H2294/S1140 is the shortest OBC bill ever written. It’s too bad that other states have not developed such simple language:
SECTION 1. Section 2B of chapter 46 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 3 and 4, the words “on or before July 17, 1974 or on or after January 1, 2008”.
SECTION 2. Said section 2B of chapter 46, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 6, the words “on or after January 1, 2008”.
Congratulations Class Bastard Massachusetts!
New York Adoptee Rights Coalition
This is so thrilling! Imagine. Adoptees having access to what everyone else in the U.S. has as their birthright!
That’s great. Does Illinois born adoptees have this privilege?
Thanks for writing. Mass took about 20 years! As for Illinois, it depends on your date of birth and adoption, and in some cases, you need your birth mother’s consent. I’ts a mess and very confusing. There is more information on our Illinois State Page. http://bastards.org/states-illinois/
Pennsylvania doesn’t have access to their birthright! It infuriates me!!