House passes bill letting adult adoptees request original birth certificate from state health department

Representative Joseph Gullett presented Senate Bill 100 to the House, saying the bill “brings fairness to the process of adopted individuals.” Gullett told the chamber the bill allows an adoptee, when turning 18, to request a copy of their original birth certificate directly from the Department of Public Health rather than petitioning superior court; the House passed the bill 145 yeas to 14 nays.

Why it matters: Under current law the floor presenter and speakers said adoptees previously often had to hire an attorney and obtain a court order to access original birth records. Supporters called SB 100 ‘‘Andy’s Law’’ and said it restores parity between adopted and non‑adopted adults in access to their vital records.

What the House heard: Gullett described the existing practice: during adoption parents choose whether the child will have a new birth certificate listing adoptive parents; the bill allows an adoptee who was issued a new certificate at adoption to request the original birth record upon turning 18. Representative Lisa Campbell spoke in favor and described the change as restoring equality and privacy for adoptees; Representative Anne Allen Westbrook also supported the bill and described prior procedures that required court intervention and consent orders.

Votes and next steps: The rules committee report was agreed to; final recorded passage was 145 yeas, 14 nays. The bill will move on for further legislative steps or enrollment as provided under the legislative process.

Ending: Supporters framed the measure as restoring adopted adults’ access to their own origin records and cited privacy and health‑information reasons for the change.