I don’t have the details yet (and I have to go away this afternoon and won’t be back until this evening), but I wanted to get this out.
HB 162, the clean OBC access bill already passed by the Pennsylvania House, has gone donw to defeat under Disclosure Veto. Sen. Mensch offered an incredibly ugly amendment which passed that “opens a window” of three years for a birth parent to file a disclosure veto. If it is filed, the OBC remains sealed. If one is not filed for three years, then the OBC is available.
Oh, how could I forget. Upon the death of a birthparent the OBC will be unsealed. No explanation of how the adoptee or the state will know the parent is dead.
According to tweets from Amanda Woolston, adoptees were pathologized by lawmakers or witnesses or both and reminded of who their “real parents” are.
We don’t exist except at the pleasure of the state.
Here is a screen shot via Amanda of the Mensch amendment. Senatgor Wagner’s amendment that would have added only a Contact Preference Form was not passed.
Amanda says she will issue a personal statement alter today and I’ll post that here. I’ll also write more when I know more. It is hgihly doubtful, in my openion, that the House will raise a fuss about the change.
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