Siblings are not included, however. A bill that would have opened the registry to siblings passed a Missouri House committee this year but never reached a vote in the full House. Its sponsor, Rep. Barbara Fraser of the St. Louis area, tried to attach it to other bills on the session's final day, but failed. We'll just have to do it next year. It's a good bill.
Rules governing adoption records vary across the country.
A few states seal all records. At least three states, including Kansas, allow adoptees access to original birth certificates once the adoptees become adults. A bill that would open those records in Missouri failed to pass this year. For siblings, searching can be extra difficult. State laws often do not address access for siblings.