No details yet, but the Rhode Island Senate this afternoon passed S478 Sub A, reportedly 36-0, with a amendment to lower the age of access from 30 to 25. No sunset provision unfortunately. The bill now goes to the House. I doubt the House will balk since a few days ago it passed the similar H5453 Sub A with the access age of 18. Obviously, we are not happy that access age remains above the age of majority. We also urged a sunset to the higher age be added. That said, lowering the age will be a much easier than getting rid of a prospective only access, a disclosure veto or any other measure that codifies less than full disclosure,which Rhode Islanders were facing only a few days ago. Access Rhode Island, Bastard Nation (who has been working in an advisory capacity with ARI) and other Rhode Island activists have made it clear that this law will not be “complete” until every Ocean State adoptee can get their OBC at the age of majority. We’ll update you when we are.

Below is my letter published today in the Providence Journal regarding S478 Sub A. Note that the first commenter brought up abortion. (what else is new?) Please go to the link and comment. Rhode Island adoptees need our help today. The vote is Wednesday. An action alert will be posted shortly. Thanks. Marley E. Greiner: Adoptees are owed thisJun 20, 2011 We urge the passage of Rhode Senate bill S478 Sub A, which would restore the right of all Rhode Island adoptees to access their own pre-adoptive original birth certificates (OBCs). We cannot, however, support limiting that access to adoptees age 30 and above. We urge the Senate to extend access to all adoptees when they reach the age of majority. The age of majority is defined as “adulthood in the eyes of the law.” At majority, a person is permitted to vote, make a valid will, enter into binding contracts, marry, enlist in the military and buy alcohol. In most states, including Rhode Island, the age of majority is 18. In no state does majority exceed 21. The not-adopted of Rhode Island are not required by statute to be 30 years of age to access their own birth certificates. Continue Reading →

Bastard Nation, the Adoptee Rights Organization conditionally supports Rhode Island S 478 Sub A. This bill is an amended version of the earlier S 478, which included a disclosure veto. The bill also had provisions that limited original birth certificate (OBC) access to adult adoptees born after Jan. 1, 2012, or to those who are 40 years or older after the effective date of the bill. None of those provisions restored the right of OBC access guaranteed until 1944, for all Rhode Island adoptees. Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin, whose sister has two adopted children, and supported this bad bill, took a lot of heat after she told the Providence Journal she wanted to limit OBC access to older adoptees because “I want them to be able to find their records in an appropriate and meaningful kind of way, not because they want to get back at their adoptive parents.” After heavy public and private criticism from the Rhode Island adoption community and reformers, Goodwin backtracked, the prospective provision and vetoes were removed and the age limit reduced to 30. On Wednesday the bill passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee unanimously with a Do Pass recommendation to the Continue Reading →