OHIO ADOPTION RECORDS NEWS!
On Wednesday, January 16, the Ohio House Health Committee will hold a public PROPONENT hearing on HB 7, a bill to reform various aspects of adoption and foster care in Ohio. Included in this bill is a section that restores the right of unrestricted access to the original birth certificates of ALL Ohio adoptees. Currently, only pre-1964 adoptee have the right to their OBCs with no restrictions. This is a clean bill. No vetoes. It has a good chance of passing in the House.
I only learned about the up-coming hearing this weekend. This is short notice obviously, but we are looking for people who can testify in favor of HB 7. If you cannot testify in person, please write letters to the Health Committee in support of it.
I will testify at the hearing and have prepared a small legislative packet to distribute to committee members. Wednesday evening I’ll post my testimony on my blog: The Daily Bastardette, http://bastardette.blogspot.com
LEGISLATIVE LINKS:
HB 7: PDF: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText127/127_HB_7_I_Y.pdf or HTML: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText127/127_HB_7_I_Y.html
This bill is very long so you may want to read the analysis instead.
Legislation Services Analysis: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/analyses.cfm?ID=127_HB_7&ACT=As%20Introduced
Pages 4-9 and 18-20 pertain to the records access section.
Members of the House Health Committee:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Committee.jsp?ID=15
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Committee.jsp?ID=15
Sponsor: Rep. Tom Brinkman, Jr. (District 34, Cincinnati)
Aide: Kara Joseph
Please contact Kara if you plan to testify.
HEARING INFORMATION:
LOCATION:
Ohio State House
Corner of Broad and High
Downtown Columbus, Ohio
Parking is usually available in the Statehouse Underground Parking garage. http://www.ohiochannel.org/your_state/ohio_statehouse/information/parking/index.cfm
Driving directions: http://www.ohiochannel.org/your_state/ohio_statehouse/information/contact/driving_directions.cfm
HEARING ROOM: 121
TIME: 10:00 AM
NOTE: At this time we are looking ONLY for those with Ohio connections to testify or to contact the committee: persons born and/or adopted in Ohio; parents who relinquished in Ohio; parents who adopted in Ohio; adoptees and family members from other states currently living in Ohio. When you contact committee members please state your Ohio connection.
HB 7 has been in the works for about a year. It is not a Bastard Nation bill, but Bastard Nation supports the bill as currently written.
Ohio is a key state in the records access battle.
HELP US MAKE OHIO THE TIPPING POINT FOR THE COUNTRY!
I am collecting email addresses of Ohio access supporters and will keep everyone informed of what’s happening. Please pass this information on to anyone with an Ohio interest in adoptee rights, records access, and adoption reform.
Oof, I can’t do anything tomorrow, especially with this snow. That said, I’d like to be kept up to date with this specific bill.
(mrsjennahatfield at gmail dot com)
Off to pass this on.
I can’t be in Ohio tomorrow, but I will be writing a letter. I relinquished there just 9 months passed the cut off for open records – my daughter will only find me if we both file a petition with the state.
Thank you for the heads up (and to Munchkin’s Mom for passing along).
Please keep me up to date. nikki dot black at gmail dot com
Thanks for the information, Marley. I’ve written everyone on the committee. It’s a little late for snail mail, but I sent e-mail to each of them (individually). I hope that it helps. I wish I could be there to testify.
Good luck. Thanks again.
Definitely interested in hearing outcomes of all of this.
redthread32202 at yahoo dot com
~ Judy
My husband was born in Ohio and was adopted six months later. He has no access since his birthyear is 1971.
Please keep me posted on the bill as it wends its way through the process! Could be so wonderful!
(mamagigi at comcast dot net)
Another resource for you: http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=adoption