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Subcommittee advances bill to let adult adoptees request sealed original birth certificates
Summary
HB 301, with a substitute and an incorporated identical measure, would allow adult adoptees to request a copy of a sealed original birth certificate under a specified process; the subcommittee adopted a substitute and reported the bill 7–2. Supporters described the measure as granting equality and access to factual birth records for adult adoptees.
Delegate Colson introduced House Bill 301, moved to incorporate House Bill 664, and offered an amendment intended to clarify that the sealed original birth certificate is not the routinely used, amended birth certificate. Committee counsel read amendment language that would require an adult adoptee requesting the sealed original certificate pursuant to Section 63.2‑1246 to submit an application, proof of identification and payment to the state registrar; the counsel also clarified that a sealed original certificate would not be subject to amendment or used for routine legal purposes.
Witnesses in favor included Rebecca Ricardo (licensed clinical social worker and adult adoptee), Lori Wyatt (Virginia-born adoptee) and other adoptee advocates who described emotional and identity harms from sealed original records. Ricardo said she never expected that her child’s original birth certificate would be permanently sealed and urged passage; multiple speakers framed access as an equality issue for adult adoptees.
The subcommittee adopted the substitute and amendments, incorporated the identical measure, and the clerk recorded the bill as reported with substitute by vote of 7–2. Counsel noted the substitute text is available on LIS.
