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### THE·' A'l."'lI"ORNEY GENERAL

. . 

### anAL))> C. ),1,ANN**.X;1(~~~X**

ATTORNEY GENEIRAlr .. 

### ···.·oFTEXAS

.()pinion**No.p-S3~** 

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# 00432

Han. GeCj). W. COX 

### State Health Officer
.**.AU$tin~ ~~.)\:a;s.** 

. '". ,. 

### Re:
..May the CorOl of .birth certificate of the Texlls .r)epartUlento£·Hejith i"l:

### ,ina~optedcMld reveal two .**·mothers.if~he** 

### repol"tofadopti,9n

### fQrwa'l':del~ fro.n; a IHstrict 

### Cou.rt 'hame$;

### t)voi.vo~enas having adopted

lOilidminor chHd? , ," .'


### .' We.al:e il):l'eceipt ofyo)l:r lettel:'of March 

### Ill, which. reads as follows:.

.."We

### havethel'.~port**.~f.an.adoption** • in 

## tlie 7 1st
..Dis-
.

.**~rictCourt.()fl;J.al"}'isori** 

### Co.\.Intynaming M.rs. Mamie M. Mo()re ,afemesQle.'llnd Miss LillieMer:r.bache.l' ashav-
.ing.adoptedM.argal'et.i;li:r.ahethMcClurean,dotherchHdre·n. 

### "Unde.rtheadopti.on lawof),1ay 8. 1935, 

### as affect,.**ing.theStateBllr~Il)i, ~l1e**  

### S;tate Registral'. is.reqllired to r'emove the cel'tiflciite of Ilatlll'albil'thalldplace in its stead a bil'th**certi~it:ate** 

### £or the child shQwing the pli/.l'ents • . by adoptiOn; '.
. "Yollrde.partmenthas ruled that the words 'by "**·li/.dopt.ion~ s~Ql1.j;dnot**  

### be shown on the 

### certificate, but that

. the names ofthfl.adopting pal'entS should be shown as.

the natuulpa.rents pf thet:htJd., The adopted form·of bi!tll.certif.icate·fol:Texaf!P.l'ovidesfor but one, mother•

.**~~.** 

### ifi't'ollQwing the liiwitappeaJ"s that in thlf! case the**~'ri1.eli** 

### -<>f 

### tWo mt)thers must appear on the certificate• .: . A coPy 

# or thE!apopted fo.r,m of birth certificate is**enclosed~**



### .**Plejise}dvis~. ~st()how** **th~** 

### ·1;>.itth certificate of this .child sho,wing'il<Noqlothers shou14be**wri.tte~."** 

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### We'\vish tocallyqur attention to Article 

### 46a. Section 

### 1:. of Vernon's Annotated.CiyUStatlltes wp.ich wequ.ote in full:

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." .. ;", )." H;l1>Jl.Qeo. W. Cox. ,Aprill9. 1939. Page 2 

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## 004.33

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### , ,;. Any .idldt :re$).dellct o£**~hi$** stllte. may petition theqi$" trtct cOurt i.ntlle di$trict of hip residence or in the dis-trict 

### Cit thereSide:qee. qftliechjJd tobeadop-ted 

### tor leave '-t$ 

### adopt ·ami.norchi.ld;s:u:cli petition shaij setfQrth the flict rE!levari'

to petiti.One;rand chi.id.and ,be veri{ied by the**amdliv~to£** the**petitioner.:aut~suchpetj.tiQnmade** by married persons skaU be,**gr~nted** unless**thehU.sban:d:-~,q** wife shall join**there~** in.exc-eptfrtg whi!n sU,chpetitioner shall be. marriell 

### to th¢ natura;J.father oi,m9the,r; then su-ch jpciner by such father ,or l,:no±her shall. b.e unnecessary."
. ' 

### ,. ..

,**'Sa~dsectiOnproYid1:!** stOi- the adopth;1n 01. a mbio.r cMl-d by. "any 

### adUJt. r.esident':\l£thiss:t;l.tE!;" 

### Ii refers to thea.dQpte'q pllrty <loS "petit!oner" lnidstipti:latest4a't-'if the petittcln fprllMp#on is made by**~,Il** m;,u-rled**~r­** "$;oii"the,latt,h!s**~u:sband** (,,:t'y.>J.{e must join therein. ltdoesnot prO'\Tide.for

'Iljtij,nt adopti$of"a" mirii:l:r"21itldGther 'tIian 

### th<l.t by**~.** hUSband and wife.

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. .**'t~:<~**

,**'thelitl1:~itg¢,liI(the,** statute is clear ande)Cplj.cit**tGthee£~ect tha~a.dopti,OnOf**  a mi.np,!-, chUd in ':rexas m,ust he made by a. $in/ile pers$nor 

# '.:a.' mar.ri.e:o '**pe~~hn. jl)hl~dbyhU!lb;1n!l'orwtf:e**  in the pro,Ce¢<'Iings. lidoes not**p:r.o~de** .f:..or the**ad~til)nGf:..** ,a mhtOr**t':hil~** by two; or .more single perso'ltS ,j;i)itt't.lY or by a sinilepersottand 

## a marriedperso.n joi.ntlY. Wea,re of the:

. 'Gpinj:Qn that,t)ie 

## 'la-Why. implicatiQrt' forbids**;al1"joint·~dGpth)ll,.** proceedings

Gther thattth9sebya :lirtsbilnd itndwife;**Con$~q,uelltly.wequ.estiGn** the vilHd'" 

### Uya£.**aGopti~n'p:rQ'ceedlngs** ,sq-ehas !li.d1c:atedby th,e fir st paragraph ef your**l~tter whicll:re~erredto~JiJ1rs.MainiE;M.** **~cn:>re,** a feme sole. ind Miss Lillie Merzbaclier as having Illl0p.ted Ma,rg1l-retEli;!Oabeth McClure and othe'r children. ,; . ,Fti.rth-ermoriol. the-sux-estg'uidi? to 

### ii ¢orredic;ollstruction (If a statute is secured by as.certaming'th.e'purpase iis makers intended it ,Should accomplish:. Th'eGbjedof'the Texas Legislatu.re .in enacting the ,stilte 'sa4option statute was to secure for the adopted child a legal statu,s .' whi-ch would most c1oselyapproximate that prnviGed by natural pa.rents and

the home of natar<lol p.al"ent». Thepuplicillterestand the wel£ilre of the child a.re dependent upon an {nterp,l'etatio.it':O£ the adopti.pnistatute which will not doviGlenceto natural laWs •• To allow'an adoptionbytwG mothers 0.1' two ,father's jointly wo.uld ,create .a**'co.m~lkated** and irreg)llar domestic positicm {pr a minor. in ,c'Ontravention of the' policy of the statute and the purpose of the Legislature. " The case of Krugv. DaYis. 87 India.ria 590. is authority for the constructionwe plac'e'tin the ad6piionstatute of. Texas.: The statute under**c'Onsider'at~nn** there; ;Revised 

### Civil Statutes. 1 881; Sections 823j;hr:GIlgh 828. pr<rirtded that a.ny person desirOJlsofadQpting any chnd may file his pe.titioil

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. .;. }" ;"lRon o Ge.o o W. Cox, April 19, 1939, Page 3 

## 00434:

therefor in the circuit er other proper court in the county in which s.aid child resides, etc•. It W<l,sco.ntenped that under the st.atute, no two persons, not even husb<l,nd and wife, could unite in pr.oceedings to. adQpt a chilli. 'the court rejected this contention, holding that'a husb<l,nd and wife couid effect <I, joint**~doptiori,** buts<l,id by way of dl.ciu,m: "It would be inconsistent with the general scope and purpos:.! Of this statute to perrpittwo or more pe.rSQllS**rep~** resenting different fa.inilies to jobftlyor**concurrent~y** adopt the same chUd, but that objection,' in oUr estimation, dOeS not apply to joint proceedmgsby husband <l,nd wife**f~rthe** adoption of <I, childo
.. • .f. '. On petiti(m fl;Jr rehe;l.ring in the ab.ove C.<I,62, tlie fOFmer'OIiinion. was sustainel'l:
. . ... .. "CouU:seLmisapprehend the effectO£olU' Qpinion tithey .' r.eally sUpp.Qse it to detlare tb:at 

## ariitwo persens 6th;;r than .•. a husband andwi;e 

## maY aliopt**~** same chi.1d. No**such~ean** 1Jl.g can possibly be given file opinion, ';l'hepecuUar relation
..

. 0£ husband and wife, <l,nd the place. in their family and <I,££ecticm.s wh.ich the
.law inWndsi;he<l,doptel'l**chil~to** t;!.ke;' we .considered .as matters**exerting<l,c~:trol1iug** influeu(;e up.onthecoustruc
.... tiPll 

### to begive.n 

## t'ne statute and a,s milking itpraperto**~jlidge** thathusbl'lld <l,nd<wif¢might unite inad£ipiling a chHii,.<ind·:thus make it .a<;:hi!dliJ;f bji)i;h•. 'We. neither h,e:ld<>r**mea.n~** 

## tn hold that pe.rSOns
.other than husband and wife. might join, ii(;r,.f6 there ,anything jrI whaj; we sa.i.d le.<I,ding ,to such a,<;qnclu'sit1n, " We hill¢! thatun.der**Artk.~e** 

### 46A., Selitton**i;'9fYe~on's** An.npo;- t;ited .Civil statutes, apji)ve quoteA, a jointad:op#d.n of arlljnor chUd by two**wO~E!n,** both femes sale, is illegal, .and tha:t the. birttt**c.~rtificat¢** qfthe 'fexasDeparlment of ;Health for a.nadopte.d .child may nO.Ll'evea1i;wa mothers,

. even thpugh the report.Q£adopj;ion from a. dist1.-rd courtn;l.mes 

### tWtl. single wpmen'.;!.s having;l.dop.t¢d a**minorda~1d**• .A.doptiQll prQceeaIngs niiming two women <l,s having**adop~done** .min.or child 

# are iavaHd and must be re·ferred to the dist.rict court of origin. for cQrr.ectj:!tIn. '
. Since the. report 

### !J.f adoption accordit'tgtoyol1t:' letter,refe·rs
. to "Margaret Eli'z;!l-pe,th M'cCJure and other chHdren." aEl having been adllpted by Mrs. Mamie M
.. MQore,a €emesoie. and. Miss Lillie**Mer~bacher,~here** is 

## a po.sSibJ.lity thate.ach .of the two WDmenail,opteddHferent chUd.ren. This shOUld he investigated. (UI1,derscoring ours)
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Geo. W.**Cox~\,** April 19, 

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DS:omb:da APPROVJi:O:
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# lsi Gera).9C. Mann '.,'.- 

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. yours' very truly**AT'l,'OR~EY** GENERAL OF TEXAS**.~**.. lsi Dick Stout Dkk Stout

.Assistant