New York Allows Adoptees to Receive Birth Certificates at Age 18

Finding information about the people who you are related to is not always easy, especial for adoptees. New York Governor Cuomo signed a law that will make their research process easier. The new legislation allows adoptees to receive a certified birth certificate at age 18.

New York State Senate bill S3419 establishes the right of adoptees to receive a certified copy of their birth certificate upon reaching the age of 18. The law extends that ability to the adopted person’s direct line descendants (or a lawful representative of the adopted person) in cases where the adopted person is deceased.

The specific provisions are intended to ensure that all adult adoptees adopted in New York to have the same unimpeded right as non-adopted people in New York to access such birth certificates. Or, if the birth certificate is not available, the true and correct information that would have appeared on them.

On June 3, 2019, the New York State Senate voted 56 Ayes to 6 Nays on this bill. Governor Cuomo signed the bill into law on November 14, 2019.

“Where you came from informs who you are, and every New Yorker deserves access to the same birth records – it’s a basic human right,” Governor Cuomo said. “For too many years, adoptees have been wrongly denied access to this information and I am proud to sign this legislation into law to correct this inequity once and for all.”

The legislation removes the right of government agencies to restrict the type of information made available to adopted persons and removes the previous barriers to receive information about biological parents to identify medical data that can prevent preventable diseases or untimely death.

The law will go into effect on January 15, 2020. When that happens, it will make New York the tenth state to restore this right to adoptees.

Related Articles at FamilyTree.com:

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New Jersey Law Makes Finding Records Easier For Adoptees

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