sealed records Archives | Bastard Nation

Virginia: House of Delegates Passes HB550. On to the Senate!

Marley Greiner — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 21:04:11 +0000

Yesterday the Virginia House passed HB550 66-32. The bill restores the right of all Virginai-born adopted people to obtain their Original Birth Certificates upon request at the age of 18. There was no floor debate. Oddly, more Republicans supported it than Democrats. The bill now goes to the Senate.

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Bastard Nation Action Alert: West Virginia HB4815 and SB153. DO NOT PASS. Reactionary and Dangerous

Marley Greiner — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 15:29:34 +0000

HB4815 is a confusing bill that requires adult adoptees to apply UNSUCCESSFULLY to the West Virginia Mutual Consent Registry for their identifying information BEFORE they can apply for their OBC.SB153 is another nonsensical bill that redacts by default, all identifying information on the OBC unless a biological parent specifically authorizes, via a Department of Health consent form, the release of the genuine unredacted document. The bill restricts OBC access and will set a reactionary legal precedent: no other state redacts OBCs by default.

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Minnesota Becomes 15th State to Acknowledge Adoptee Birth Record Equality

Marley Greiner — Fri, 26 May 2023 02:38:56 +0000

Minnesota's long history of sealed records and complicated, confusing, convoluted "rules," including an incomprehensible intermediary system that made it nearly impossible for adoptees to obtain their Original Birth Certificates, ended Wednesday when Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz signed SF2995 an omnibus health bill that contained OBC access provisions. Those provisions came from the earlier stand-alone SF279 stuck in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee for carryover to the next session. The Minnesota Coalition for Adoption Reform (MCAR) and the Adoptee Rights Law Center directed by Minneapolis attorney Gregory Luce, negotiated with legislative leaders to get the provisions added and onto the floor of both Houses which passed the bill on May 22, 2023, the last day of the session. (Senate: 34-32; House 69-64)

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California AB1302: Bastard Nation Letter of Opposition to House Health Committee

Marley Greiner — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 17:23:57 +0000

AB1302 is clearly adopteephobic, discriminatory, and frankly bigoted– and it clearly was written with no adoptee input. It has no support from any adoptee rights, adoption reform, or child welfare organization in the country. If this bill were about any other marginalized group and written without any input from them–African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, women, queers, trans, Jews, Muslims, disabled, it would never see the light of day.

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California AB1302: Emergency Action Alert–April 19, 2023 Deadline

Marley Greiner — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 12:42:28 +0000

AB 1302 would create a clumsy, cumbersome, and unduly burdensome TRIPLE notification procedure in the hands of the Department of Health. While no fiscal note is yet attached to the bill, I can imagine the cost in millions will fall on adoptees and other voters in California.

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Congratulations, Louisiana! #12 to acknowledge adoptee equality

Marley Greiner — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 17:24:41 +0000

On June 15, 2022, Governor. John Bel Edwards signed HB 450--the bill that restores the right of all Louisiana-born adopted people to their Original Birth Certificates upon request, without restriction,.The House, voted 76-21 and the Senate 29-5. For Pete's sake, Louisiana! Louisiana! If Louisiana can acknowledge, codify our rights, and pass a bill, then any state can!

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Limited Action Alert: Louisiana HB 450. Senate Floor Vote This Week. Do Pass!

Marley Greiner — Sun, 29 May 2022 06:48:14 +0000

Bastard Nation received this Call to Action today from the Louisiana Coalition for Adoption Rights. If you call under any of the categories below, please contact Louisiana Senators now! Anyone who’s ever lived in Louisiana- anyone who knows anyone in Louisiana should tell them to write in, anyone who knows an adopted person or parent who relinquished in Louisiana etc

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HB 450: Louisiana One Step Closer to OBC Restoration

Marley Greiner — Sat, 28 May 2022 20:39:49 +0000

There's some terrific testimony from our friends Elise Lewis and Kenny Tucker from the Louisiana Coalition for Adoption Rights, who have been at it for years, the Louisiana Adoption Advisory Board, first mothers, adoptive mothers, and social workers, as well as bill sponsor Rep. Charles Owen and former lawmaker Danny Martiny sponsor of similar legislation in the past.

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Vermont H629: On the Cusp of OBC Restoration and Victory!

Marley Greiner — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 23:59:56 +0000

On Thursday, April 14, 2022, the Vermont House voted to concur with Senate amendments on H 629. The bill now goes to Governor Phil Scott for his signature. thus making Vermont the 11th state to recognize and affirm the right of all adopted people (in Vermont at age 18) to obtain their original birth certificates without restrictions or conditions. There is no reason to believe that Scott will not sign it.

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Action Alert: Louisiana HB450 going for floor vote. Contact now–DO PASS

Marley Greiner — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 02:40:07 +0000

Tell the House to retain the original language of the bill-- pass the bill as written Keep your letter short and concise. If you are a Louisiana-born adoptee tell them. If you are adopted, tell them. If you have a Louisiana connection, tell them. If you are a birthmother, tell them. Remember, this bill is about adoptee civil rights and the restoration of the right for all adopted people to obtain their own original birth certificates. It is not about search and reunion, claims of birthmother "confidentiality," or abortion.

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