**i**

**OFFICEOFTHEATTORNEYGENERALOFTEXAS AUSTIN**  **GROVER SELLERS**  **ATIORNLI GENERAL** 

Dr. W.A. Davis, State Registrar Bureau of Vital Statiatios Board of Health **Austin,** Texas
Dear Sirr op5.nionNo. O-7030 Re: Filing of birth oertlfioates rtor adopted ohildren.

aa followsr

“I 

## regret very muohth

sible for 00 to atte January lOth, to rea relati#e to the metho oatea for edopted ohi been written he above Opinion, **by** adoption **and by**  **rtltlloates result**  **oertlf loates**  **re**

la reversed andthe State newbirth oertifloate 80aa

parent of a legitimate child?
“2. Uponthe remarriage of the mother ar;dthe adoption of her ohild by her seoond husband, should the newcertificate showher seoond husband **88** the natural father of the child?Dr. W. **A.** Davis, page 2

“3, when unolaa and aunts adopt nephew8 andnleoaa, should tha newoertiffoatas in view of the findlngjr of the court of adoption and ooamonknowledge, ahowthe unolea and aunt@as the natural fathers endmothere of these adopted ohildran?

“4. Whare**grzmdparents** adopt ~randohildran, ahould the graodparanta be shownaa the natural parants OSthe childran and, if ao, should tha preaant agea of tha grandparent0 be shownonthe oertlfloatas?

“5. If two ohildren born leaa than 9numtha apart ara adoptrd, ehould the adoptlng parent@ be ahownaa the natural parenta in oontradiotion to oartaln biologloal faota?

“6. The preeent law provide8 that upontha request of the adopting parants, the original birth raoord mapbe retained in the rile and not sealed with tha adoption deoree. Ir the Opinion of Augurt 1, 1945, ie reversed and tha adopting parenta era ahownQXI the raoord a8the natural parante, you have two oertiiloataa fllad **aide** by eldo whloh are oontredlotory with no explanation attached.

“7. Whenthe **date** of bixth of the ohild la shownto be prior to tha date of marriage of the adopting parents, should the new Oertlfl**oate** ahowthe adopting parents aa the natural parante of a ohlld born prior to their marriage?

“8. Should the slgnatura of the phyaiolan whoattended the birth of the rhlld, or his name, b%placed on the newoertitloate ahowing th%adopting parents without hir knowledge or obnaent?W SeOtlon 9 of **Artiole** 466, Vernonts Annotetad Oivil Stetutea, reada In pert a6folbwm.I. 

## 126

Dr. W.A. DaViS, pew 3

When a ohild la adopted In aeoordanoe with the provisions **of** thi8 **Artiole,** all legal relationship andall righta and **dutiee** between auoh ohlld and Its natural parents shall aease anddetermine, provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent suoh adopted ohilU from Inheriting froa its natural parent1 all adopted children ahall inherit from the adopted as well aa Its natural parenta. Said ohild shall themafter **be** deemd and held to be, for every purpose, the ohild of its parent or parent8 **by** adoption aa Sully amthough born of themIn lawful wedlock. Said child ahall be entitled to proper eduoetion, support, malntenanoe, nurture and oabe from said parent or parents by adoption, and shall Inherit from said parent or parente by adoption, andes the ohild of said parent or parenta by adoptlonJ za+nfully as though born to thea ln lawful **wmllook~** Subaeotlm 26 of Rule Us, hrt. 447’7, **V.** k. C. s., reads **In** pert **aa rolia8t** 

**.**

*Provided further upon entry of final order of adoption the Judge or **Clerk** of Court **shell** notlfjr the Regletrar OSVital StatiatIOa In State Departxent of iiaalth of aotlon taken, glvIn,g the nameaandaddreaaen of the natural parent8 if known or of the ohild*e next Ida, the date oi birth andnaae OSauoh child before end after adoption and the nameand addreemee of footer parentr. Said Fiegi8trar of Vital Statlatloe shall llkewlrre be notified of any eubae**quent** revocation of suoh order of adoption or any anaulnent of adoption. Oopiea of ell reports of adoptions end reports of **revooation** of 

### ord6r of edoptlon and of ennulamata shall within thirty (30) daya after such order be realled to the Registrar of **Vital Ststistlos**  of the State Department of Realth. Uponreoeipt of copy of any final order of adoption **the State**  **;iegistraI! Of**  **Vital StstistiOs**  shall **OaUBe** to be mades reoord of the birth In the newnameor nameaof the adoptIhg parents or parent. Keshall then oauae to be sealed andfiled the original oertifloate of birth, If any, with the adoption deoree of the Court and suoh aealed gaokage maybe opened only uponorder of a Court of reoord. upon

## 127

Dr. '6. A. Davis, pa&e4

receipt of oopy of annulment of adoption **aald** Regiatrar of Vital Statistloe shall restore ths original nameof the child andthe nanea of hi8 natural parenta or psrent to the reoord of birth of suoh child, Provided further that adoption madeunder existing law prior to the psssage of this **Aot, may**  be rsgietered with the **Bureau** of Vital Statistios uponsworn applioation of aithsr adoptive parent or guardian of the adopted ohild, showthe nanan and addresses of the natural parents if knownor of the ohild*s next kin, the date of birth andthe nameof suoh ohlld before end after adoption, the namesand addraraae of fostsr parents, together with proof of adoption, oithar by oartified oopy of the reoord of the efrldavit of adoption, or the Court order of adoption.

“Uponthe adoption of said ohild the state Xegletrar shall notffy the Looal Reg&mr of that adoption, andshall forward to the Looal Regletrar a oopy of the birth oertlf1oate howing the hams8of the parents by adoption, provided that no stetemsnt of the adoption shall appear on that raoord. Tha Local Registrar shall return to the State Registrar, or shall oanoel the oertIfioata of the natural birth ~ofsaid child, andshall substitute In **Ita** plaoa a oertifloate forwarded hia bythe State Registrar,

“Andprovided further **that** the State RsgIatrar, uponthe written **request** signed by the parent, or parents, **of** the adopted ohild, mayretain the oartlfioate of the natural birth In the file andmayattaoh a oartifloats ahowing the names of the parent+, or parents, by adoption to the orIgi.m& oertiffoete as anamendment. TheState Registrar shall furnish the Local Registrar with a oopy of the said birth oartifloate to be attaohed to the origtial birth oertifIoate .v

our ijpinion No, **O-6631** reeds in part as follows:

“In our opfnlon, whenthe State Rsgistrar reoeives anadoption decree, he should file a oertifioete of the birth ti the neftrname or nemss of the adoptin& parent or paparentsln whloh them la no statement of the ado **26** of Rule 47a, * * 5, tlon, as nquired ih subdlvis1onDr. W.A. ‘Davie, page 5

i3,our opinion No. O-7052, dealing with birth oertlfloatee Ofadopted children, weheld aEfoUoW5r

*In view of the foregoing it la our opinion that you are njt required to rewrlte the birth osrtlfioates of adopted ahfldren that were filed in compllanoe with ~plrion 1.;~.o-6682 (which ha8 been overruled andwlthdrawn), unlese request therefor is madeby the proper parties. If andwhensuah requeet ie madeby the adoptive parent8 or other proper partie5, it la our opinion that you should rewrite theee reaord5 80aa to ahowthat the adoptive parenta are the parent8 of e5ld ohildwn

. In other words, the newoertlfioate, insofar 58 it relate8 to the adoptive parents, ehould be pr+ pared ln the samemannera8you nowprepere birth oertlflaates under the provlrlons of Subeeotlonr 1 t0 24, lnolueive, of Rule **47a, Art.**  &,T7, V. A. C. S. Going a little further, wedonot think that the

## Word *natural* 8houl.dbe used berore the nan18of the father, mother or child.*

**A oamful**  **mading of**  the above **atatuter anC**  **the above**  **quote4** portions of oplnlonr OSthle department reveals that lt wasnever the intention of the Legislature nor the holding of this depertmentthat the adoptive (legal) parent or parent8 should b5 own5ldered as the natural parent5 of the adopted ohild. **rrom** the

In p8seing laws on thle very important matter, the member5 of the Legl8lature did not seek to preaorlbe a standard form of birth oertlflaate to be used by the state Registrar ln preparing all kinds of birth oertlfloateg,but on the oontrery they parred Subseotlone 1 to 24, lnclueive, of Rule 478, Artlele **477, V.**  **A. C.**  **S.,** preeorlblng Cheeseentlala that muet **be** oontalned ln the natural birth oertlflcate, Subseotlon 25 dealing with the blrth oertlficate of an lllegltlmate ohild, end Subesotion 26providing for the birth aertiflaate of **an** adopted ohlld, end Other aubeeotlone enumereting the prerequleltee of a delayed birth oertif

’loa te. Stated another way, aperson that ir familiar with the birth oertifioate law8 of Texa5 aan dlotlngulrh a netural birth oertlfloste from the birth certificate of aa adopted ohlld or8 delayed birth oertlfloate, for there are alwaya oertain charaoterlstlos aontained in each birth oertlfloete that 

## will rdentity it. In other words, something that lo very neoeesary for the oo5pletion of the netural birth oartlfloate will have ~0 Place ln the birth certlflaate of the adopted child or ln the delayed birth certlflaate, or vice verse.

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Dr. **W.** A. Davis, page 6

Youhave propounded anumberof questions as to whether the adoptive parent or parents ahould be shownes the netural parent8 of the child in the newbirth certificate, an~dr answer to the same, wecall your attention to our Opinion No. O-7052, wherein wesaid that "the newcertifloate, insofar a8 It relates to the adoptive parents, should be prepared in the samemanneras you nowprepare birth certificates under the provisions of SubseatiOAs 1 to 2J+,inclusive, of Rule **478,** Art. 4477, V. A. C. S." Stated another wey, in preparing the "AatCUlalbirth oertifiaate" in aooordance with the ebove mentioned subsections you or the Local Registrars donot use the word vnaturaln before the nameof the father, mother or child, andif, in preparing the birth oertlfioate of anadopted ohild, you inserted the word vnaturel e before the nameof the father, mother or ohlld you would be doing something contrary both to the letter and spirit of the law, andwhat is moreyou would be doing something that Is not done ln the preperetlon of a Wnature~lbirth oertifioate". TheLegisleture passed SUbaeotlOA 26primarily for the benefit of the adopted ahild, but in aodoing the Legislature did not intend that the State Registrar **or** anyone elee shouhl makee false statement. Whenyou prepare a birth oertlflcate OSanadopted ahlld lA aooordanoe with our Opinions Nos. **o-6631,** O-7052 andthie opinion, you are not making a false statement, but on the contrary, you have a birth oertifioate thet does not oontain any statement of the adOptiOA, not even so muohas the word eadoption nbefore the Aameof the father, mother or ahild; in addition thereto, you have e birth, oertiSicete prepared in the camemanner as you nowprepare a WAatural birth oertlSioateW, Insofar ea it relate8 to the parents and

. ahlld, for In suoh a aertifloate the word WAeturall~is not used before the nameof the father, mother or ahlld.~ The foregoing answers your Questions Nos. 1,. 2, **3,** 4, **5** and **7,** andweanswer your other qUeStiOnS es follows:

**6.** Inthe above discussion It will be AOtedthat the adoptive parents are not shown to be the natural, erents OSthe child, but on the aontrery, they are showns +paryts of the child ln the Banemenner ea la dOAein the *netura birth oertifloete". The PrOViSiOA‘t OfSubaeotion **26** that are applicable to your question are alear anddefinite, andwhen a birth certifiaete is prepered IA eocordenae with the same, wesee no reason whyany further explanation should be made In the certifiaate.Dr. W.Ai Davis; page **7**

8. IA enswer to thla pueation it la our opinion that the State tiegisltrar ha5AOauthority to use the Aam or slgnaturs of t!ie phyoloian (whoettended the birth) on the new birth oertiflmite without his knowledge or consent. It 15 nmndatory that the attending phyaioian’s oartifiaate be plaoed ln the birth oertifloete pm with YUb8eCtiOA51 to 24 (natural bP ered In 5cOOrdaAOe rth certifloates), but wedonot think that 5uoha oertifioete haaany plaoe in the birth oertifioat5 of an 5dopted child.

Wetru5t that wehave aatlrSaotorily answer54 your lnqulrl55. Yours very truly,

JCDlLJ 

## $e.a--+g,. 3. 0. DavIa, Jr. 

## Asatiitfmt