In 1938 adoption records were sealed from the public and then in 1940 this was extended to adoptees, natural parents, and adoptive parents. The current bill that is pending is the first bill that I have seen that has had a glamour of hope of passing in NJ.

S1087 would give adult adoptees, or the adoptee’s adult child, or the adoptive parents to request an original birth certificate.

In addition, natural parents who relinquished a child to adoption prior to the law being enacted has the ability to maintain their privacy if they request to do so within 12 months of the law taking effect. Within 60 days of this request, natural parents also must complete a form outlining family medical and cultural history of the request will not be honored. If the information is received the request will be honored. It is my understanding that if the natural parent chooses for their information to not be released the natural parents name and home address from the original birth certificate and provide a copy of the medical and cultural history form. Folks, this is a contact veto. I respect many of the folks who have been working on this legislation but I don’t understand why or how they are supporting this bill when it contains a contact veto. This bill is NOT unconditional. Isn’t that why these same individuals have not supported other legislation but yet they are not only supporting but working towards getting this piece of legislation passed. I just don’t understand.

The bill also contains provisions for counseling referrals and intermediary services as well as a $90,000 media fund to advertise the new law.

For adoption going forward, the law would allow natural parents to inform the state of their wish to not be contacted but adoptees would still be entitled to their original birth certificate containing the names and addresses of their natural parents.

The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee cleared the bill 9-0 earlier this week. The bill still needs to pass the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, the full Senate, and clear the Assembly before it reaches the governor's desk.

The NJ Catholic Conference, the NJ Right to Life and the state chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Bar Association had objections such as the lack to respect natural parents who relied on assurances of privacy when they relinquished their babies to adoption years ago.

There are supporters of this bill and some of them have been fighting to change the NJ law for more than 25 years. The NJ Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education worked with the Mommouth University Polling Institute to gauge public support for the issue.

In April a survey of 803 adults who are citizens of NJ was conducted and ¾ of them believe that adoptees should be allowed to obtain their original birth certificates listing their natural parents names and 79 percent support the law if it allows natural parents to choose whether they want to be contacted.

To read more you can visit the following news articles:

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1161062695241380.xml&coll=1

http://www.nj-care.org/