Bill Text: TX SB1877 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to birth records of adopted persons; authorizing a fee.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-05-28 - Co-author authorized [SB1877 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1877-Introduced.html
| 87R5309 EAS-D | ||
| By: Johnson | S.B. No. 1877 | |
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| relating to birth records of adopted persons; authorizing a fee. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 192.008, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
| amended by amending Subsections (c) and (d) and adding Subsections | ||
| (g) and (h) to read as follows: | ||
| (c) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules and | ||
| procedures consistent with this section to ensure that birth | ||
| records and indexes under the control of the department or local | ||
| registrars and accessible to the general public do not contain | ||
| information or cross-references through which the confidentiality | ||
| of adoption placements may be directly or indirectly violated. The | ||
| rules and procedures may not interfere with the registries | ||
| established under Subchapter E, Chapter 162, Family Code, or with a | ||
| court order under this section. | ||
| (d) Except as provided by Subsections (e), [ |
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| (g), only the court that granted the adoption may order access to an | ||
| original birth certificate and the filed documents on which a | ||
| supplementary certificate is based. | ||
| (g) The state registrar shall on written request provide to | ||
| a person who was adopted or, if the adopted person is deceased, an | ||
| adult descendant, adult sibling, surviving spouse, or adoptive | ||
| parent of the adopted person, a noncertified copy of the person's | ||
| original birth certificate without obtaining a court order if: | ||
| (1) the adopted person was born in this state; | ||
| (2) the request is made on or after the adopted | ||
| person's 18th birthday; | ||
| (3) a supplementary birth certificate was issued for | ||
| the adopted person; and | ||
| (4) the person requesting the noncertified copy of | ||
| the original birth certificate provides, in person or by mail, | ||
| appropriate proof of the person's identity. | ||
| (h) For a noncertified copy of the person's original birth | ||
| certificate provided under Subsection (g), the state registrar | ||
| shall collect a fee in an amount equal to the fee charged for | ||
| issuance of a noncertified copy of a birth certificate and issue the | ||
| copy within the time prescribed for issuance of other noncertified | ||
| copies of birth certificates. | ||
| SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Sections 192.008(g) and (h), | ||
| Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, the state registrar is | ||
| not required to comply with those provisions until July 1, 2022. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
