Massachusetts Passes! Joins the New England Pack

This afternoon the Massachusetts Senate by a vote of 40-0 passed H2294/S1140. The measure passed the House last year and has been held up mostly n the Senate Rules committee since then.  Earlier today it was released from the committee and sent to the Senate floor for an immediate vote. There is no reason to think that Governor Charlie Baker will not sign on.  In effect, the days of segregated Original Birth Certificate access are about to end in Massachusets.

H2294/S1140 is the shortest OBC bill ever written: 

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 Janua

H2294/S1140.is the shortest and simplest restoration bill presented in any state:ry 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”.

The battle in Massachusetts has gone on for nearly 20 years, Bastard Nation became involved in the early 2000s. It’s been rough, tough, confusing, and frustrating, but perseverance pays! 

Very special credit goes to Etta Davis Lappen and OBC for MA: Access Massachusetts (not affiliated with Bastard Nation) for keeping the faith and coming back year after year; and the New England Adoptee Rights Coalition (BN is a core partner). Much thanks to House sponsors Sean Garballey and Kate Hogan, Senate sponsor Ann Gobi, and Senate President Karen E. Spilka.

To read more on Massachusetts adoptee rights and the history of the movement there go to the  Bastard Nation Massachusetts page.

Each victory is built on the victories of other states. No credible “adoptee rights organization” can argue today that incremental change is a competent strategy.

The win in Massachusetts comes on the heels of victories this year in Vermont, which will unseal OBCs on July 1, 2023, and an unlikely Louisiana where OBCs will become available in two days. In addition, Rhode Island just amended its OBC access law to lower the age from 25 to 18, bringing it in line with other states.  Massachusetts, when the law goes into effect, will be the 13th state to uphold the right of adopted people to their own birth certificates -that’s a little over 25%. 

New England is the first regional block to acknowledge and support its adopted people in their quest for equal records justice.

The law will go into effect 90 days after enactment. Application information will be released later. We will post that information when we have it.