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Summary of New
Adoption Law
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Pat Quinn signed a new
Illinois law Friday morning giving adopted persons
access to their birth certificates.
“This is a special day…for many families in Illinois,
many children in Illinois, this is a really important
day in our state’s history,” Quinn said.
As we reported
here when the legislation passed both chambers, HB5428
reverses Illinois’ automatic block on access to original
birth certificates but gives birth mothers the option to
prevent now-adult offspring from seeing the documents.
People adopted before Jan. 1, 1946 will have access
to their certificates by written request after Quinn
signs the law. Those born after Jan. 1, 1946 must wait
until a yearlong information campaign asking birth
mothers if the certificates can be released is completed
on Dec. 31, 2010. If an adult adoptee’s birth mother
has not filed to prevent the birth certificate from
being released by then, he or she can file to receive a
copy after Nov. 15, 2011.
For more information on how to register contact the
Illinois Adoption Registry:
The Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information
Exchange (IARMIE) program provides a means by which
registrants may authorize or prohibit the release of
identifying information, including a copy of the adopted
person's original birth certificate, to others involved
in their surrender or adoption. Confidential facts may
be released to registrants only after at least two
specified parties to the adoption have filed explicit
mutual consent for the exchange of this information.
Vital medical information may be exchanged anonymously
by an adopted or surrendered person (a person given up
for adoption, but not adopted) or family members if the
adopted person is deceased or birth parents and members
if the birth parent is deceased through the new Medical
Information Exchange. The availability of medical
information is dependent on parties to an adoption
voluntarily filing and agreeing to exchange these
facts. For more information, please contact the IARMIE
at 877-323-5299 (TOLL FREE) or at 217-557-5159 or at
http://www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/adoptioninfo.htm
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