[Opus]

This is something I posted a while back in the New England Adoptive Parents Forum regarding Mass SB 959 whose deadline for voting was extended to May 11, 2006. If you're from Massachusetts please contact your State Rep or Senator to lend your support. If you have friends or relatives in Mass, please encourage them to support it.

Hi All,

The following is a press release from a well known adoptee rights organization regarding Mass SB 959. I'm lending my support to it because I believe my children and all adopted persons should be able to have access to their OBCs just as I do and every other adult over the age of 18 has in the Commonwealth.

ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25th, THE MASSACHUSETTS COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILIES WILL VOTE ON SB 959. THIS BILL, AS WRITTEN, WILL ALLOW ADULT ADOPTEES TO ACCESS THEIR ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES IN THE SAME MANNER AS ALL NON-ADOPTED ADULTS.

It is imperative that we remind the committee members that SB 959 has very
strong support. Please call and Email the Committee members. Urge them to
vote YES on SB959, as written. Your letters can help Massachusetts become the
6th state to restore unconditional access to adult adoptees' birth certificates.
[Contact Information appears below.]

Read the full text of SB959:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/st00/st00959.htm


BACKGROUND INFORMATION

ON OCTOBER 27, 2005, THE JOINT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COMMITTEE heard testimony on SB959. SB 959 had solid support at the hearing and its supporters believe that the bill was received favorably by the Committee in October.

SB 959 will allow birth parents to file a contact preference form stating their
wishes. These forms will be attached to the original birth certificate but will
NOT have any bearing upon whether or not adoptees can receive their original
birth certificates. SB 959 will give back this right to ALL adopted citizens.

SB959 is very similar to New Hampshire's law that went into effect on January 3,
2005. Well over 700 hundred original birth certificates have been issued to New
Hampshire adoptees during the past year and all is well. No problems.

History tells us that original birth certificates were NOT sealed to protect the
confidentiality of birth mothers. The original birth certificate of a child born
to a mother who either relinquished all legal rights to her child or who had her
parental rights terminated by the court is never sealed at that time. Only if
and when that child is legally adopted by another family is the original birth
certificate impounded.

Original birth certificates will not be made public information. With SB959 the
certificate will be issued only to those adult adoptees 18 years of age or
older who make a written request.

PLEASE WRITE OR CALL the Representatives of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Children and Families and ask them to vote YES on SB959

CONTACT INFORMATION

RAPID EMAIL CUT AND PASTE

SENATORS;
Karen.E.Spilka@state.ma.us, Thomas.McGee@state.ma.us, Frederick.Berry@state.ma.us , Frederick.Berry@state.ma.us, Pamela.Resor@state.ma.us, Steven.Baddour@state.ma.us , Bruce.Tarr@state.ma.us

REPRESENTATIVES;
Rep.StephenLeDuc@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.AnnePaulsen@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.CoryAtkins@hou.state.ma.us, Deborah.Blumer@state.ma.us, Rep.BarbaraL'Italien@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.JohnScibak@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.PatrickNatale@Hou.State.MA.US, Rep.TomSannicandro@Hou.State.MA.US, Rep.JohnLepper@hou.state.ma.us, Rep.VinnyDemacedo@hou.state.ma.us


Senator Karen Spilka - Karen.E.Spilka@state.ma.us, (617) 722-1640
Senator Thomas McGee - Thomas.McGee@state.ma.us (617) 722-1350
Senator Frederick Berry - Frederick.Berry@state.ma.us 617) 722-1410
Senator Pamela Resor - Pamela.Resor@state.ma.us (617) 722-1120
Senator Steven Baddour - Steven.Baddour@state.ma.us (617) 722-1604
Senator Bruce Tarr - Bruce.Tarr@state.ma.us (617) 722-1600
Representative Shirley Owens-Hicks - no listed email (617) 722-2011
Representative Stephen LeDuc - Rep.StephenLeDuc@hou.state.ma.us (617) 722-2011
Representative Anne Paulsen - Rep.AnnePaulsen@hou.state.ma.us (617) 722-2140
Representative Cory Atkins - Rep.CoryAtkins@hou.state.ma.us (617 722- 2013
Representative Deborah Blumer - Deborah.Blumer@state.ma.us (617) 722-2400
Representative Barbara L'Italien- Rep.BarbaraL'Italien@hou.state.ma.us (617)722-2080
Representative John Scibak - Rep.JohnScibak@hou.state.ma.us (617-722-2220
Representative Patrick Natale - Rep.PatrickNatale@Hou.State.MA.US (617-722-2810
Representative Tom Sannicandro Rep.TomSannicandro@Hou.State.MA.US (617-722-2090
Representative John Lepper - Rep.JohnLepper@hou.state.ma.us (617) 722-2100
Representative Vinny Demacedo-Rep.VinnyDemacedo@hou.state.ma.us (617)722-2100


CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Committee on Children & Families

Rep. Shirley Owens-Hicks
State House, Rm. 167
Boston, MA 02133
(617) 722-2011