Source: https://adopteerightslaw.com/arkansas-obc/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 00:57:44+00:00

Document:
Adult adoptees in Arkansas do not have an unrestricted right to obtain their own original birth certificates. A new law, effective August 1, 2018, does not change this. Birthparents now have the option to request and obtain redaction of their information.
Identifying information in Arkansas may also be pursued through the use of an agency or state-operated mutual consent registry, which requires mandatory counseling before a search or match may be made.
Arkansas’ new law significantly changes how an adult adoptee may request and obtain an original birth certificate. It allows an adoptee who is at least 21 years of age to request his or her “adoption file,” which is defined to mean a Department of Health file containing the adoptee’s OBC and the adoption decree. A request, however, costs $100 and is subject to redactions by birthparents, who may file redaction requests at any time. A birth parent may also file a separate contact preference form at any time. Forms and information about the new law are now available on the Arkansas Department of Health website. A flowchart and answers to basic questions are also available here, while specific provisions of the new law are listed below.
(2) A request that a new certificate be established and any evidence, as required by regulation, proving that the person has been legitimated, or that a court of competent jurisdiction has determined the paternity of the person or that both parents have acknowledged the paternity of the person and request that the surname be changed from that shown on the original certificate.
(b) When a new certificate of birth is established, the actual city or county, or both, and date of birth shall be shown. The new certificate shall be substituted for the original certificate of birth. Thereafter, the original certificate and the evidence of adoption, paternity determination, or legitimation shall not be subject to inspection except upon order of an Arkansas court of competent jurisdiction or as provided by rule or under § 9-9-803.
(c) Upon receipt of a report of an amended certificate of adoption, the certificate of birth shall be amended as provided by regulation.
(d) Upon receipt of a report of annulment of adoption, the original certificate of birth shall be restored to its place in the files, and the new certificate and evidence shall not be subject to inspection except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction or as provided by regulation.
(e) Upon written request of both parents and receipt of a sworn acknowledgment of paternity signed by both parents of a child born out of wedlock, the state registrar shall reflect paternity on the certificate of birth in the manner prescribed by regulation if paternity is not already shown on the certificate of birth.
(C) A request by the court decreeing the adoption, the adoptive parents, or the adopted person if eighteen (18) years of age or older.
(2) After preparation of the birth certificate in the new name of the adopted person, the state registrar shall seal and file the certificate of adoption. This certificate shall not be subject to inspection except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction or as provided by regulation or as otherwise provided by state law.
(3) The birth certificate shall show the actual foreign country of birth and shall state that the certificate is not evidence of United States citizenship for the child for whom it is issued.
(g) If no certificate of birth is on file for the person for whom a new birth certificate is to be established under this section and the date and place of birth have not been determined in the adoption or paternity proceedings, a delayed certificate of birth shall be filed with the state registrar as provided in § 20-18-402 or § 20-18-403 before a new certificate of birth is established. The new certificate of birth shall be prepared on the delayed birth certificate form.
(h) When a new certificate of birth is established by the state registrar, all copies of the original certificate of birth in the custody of any other custodian of vital records in this state shall be sealed from inspection or forwarded to the state registrar as he or she shall direct.
New legislation passed by the Arkansas general assembly and signed into law by the Arkansas governor added the following new subsections to Arkansas adoption law. The law became fully effective on August 1, 2018.
(B) The child, surviving spouse, or guardian of any child of a deceased adoptee to whom the adoption file requested pertains.
(ii) A form that a birth parent may use to specify if a requester may contact the birth parent and the preferred manner by which a requester may contact the birth parent.
(B) The department shall make hard copies of the forms required under subdivision (a)(1) of this section available to the public.
(D) Any other information required by the department.
(3)(A) The birth parent completes, corrects, or expands his or her genetic or social history.
(4) A completed form submitted under this section at least substantially complies with the requirements of this section.
(c) The department shall not accept a form provided under this section that is completed and submitted by a birth parent for another birth parent.
(2) The adoption file concerns the adoptee named on the form.
(e)(1) Upon accepting a form submitted under subdivision (a)(2)(A)(ii) of this section, the department shall remove a form submitted under subdivision (a)(2)(A)(i) of this section from the adoption file of the adoptee named on the form.
(2) Upon accepting an updated form submitted under subdivision (a)(3)(A)(ii) of this section, the department shall remove a form submitted under subdivision (a)(3)(A)(i) of this section from the adoption file and place the updated form in the adoption file.
(f) The department shall maintain an electronic copy and destroy the hard copy of a form removed from an adoption file under subsection (d) of this section.
(a) Beginning one (1) year after the effective date of this act, a requester may submit a written request for a copy of an adoption file from the Department of Health.
(b)(1) A request submitted under this section shall include the requester’s address and notarized signature and satisfactory proof of the requester’s identity as determined by the department.
(2) If the requester is the child, widow or widower, or guardian of any child of the deceased adoptee to whom the adoption file pertains, the requester shall also provide notarized documentation evidencing the requester’s relationship to the adoptee.
(c)(1) Upon receipt of a request made under subsection (a) of this section, the department shall mail the adoption file to the requester at the address provided in the request.
(2) If an adoption file contains a form submitted under § 9-9-802(a)(2)(A)(i), the department shall redact the birth parent’s name from the copy of the adoption file before it is mailed to the requester.
(3) If a form under § 9-9-802(a)(2)(A)(ii) is submitted after a copy of the adoption file is mailed to the requester, the department shall mail the requester another copy of the adoption file with the birth parent’s name included in the adoption file within thirty (30) days of the date the form was removed.
(4) Before mailing a requester an adoption file under subdivision (c)(1) of this section, the department shall mark the certified copy of the original birth certificate contained in the adoption file as not intended for official use or similar.
(d) The department shall mail a requester an adoption file by certified mail, return receipt requested.
(e)(1) If an adoption file contains a form submitted under § 9-9-802(a)(3)(A)(i) and (ii), the department shall include the form in the adoption file mailed to a requester.
(2) A form included in the adoption file under this subsection shall be redacted in accordance with subdivision (c)(2) of this section.
(f)(1) The department may charge a requester a fee of one hundred dollars ($100) for the department’s provision of the adoption file requested.
(2) The department may change the amount of the fee charged to a requester under subdivision (f)(1) of this section in accordance with the department’s rules.
An officer or employee of the Department of Health who releases any information contained in an adoption file or provides a copy of an adoption file to a requester is not criminally liable or civilly liable in damages to any person for injury, death, or loss allegedly arising from the release of the information or copy if the officer or employee releases the information or copy in accordance with § 9-9-803.
(B) A requester as defined in § 9-9-801 is authorized to obtain a certified copy of an adoptee’s original certificate of birth.
(a) (1) No person, agency, entity, or organization of any kind, including, but not limited to, any officer or employee of this state and any employee, officer, or judge of any court of this state shall disclose any confidential information relating to any adoption, except as provided by statute or pursuant to a court order.
(2) Any employer who knowingly or negligently allows any employee to disclose information in violation of this subchapter shall be subject to the penalties provided in subsection (b) of this section, together with the employee who made any disclosure prohibited by this subchapter.
(b) Any person, agency, entity, or organization of any kind that discloses information in violation of this subchapter shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
(a) (1) A mutual consent voluntary adoption registry may be established and maintained by any licensed voluntary agency involved in an adoption.
(2) Persons eligible to receive identifying information shall work through the agency involved in the adoption. If that agency has merged or ceased operations, a successor agency may assume possession of the files for the purpose of establishing, maintaining, and operating the mutual consent voluntary adoption registry concerning those adoptions.
(3) Any licensed voluntary agency may delegate or otherwise contract with another licensed voluntary agency with expertise in post-legal adoption services to establish, maintain, and operate the registry for the delegating agency.
(4) If any agency ceasing to operate does not transfer adoption records to another licensed agency, it shall provide all records required to be maintained by law to the Department of Human Services.
(b) The department shall establish and maintain a mutual consent voluntary adoption registry for all adoptions arranged by the department or may contract out the function of establishing and maintaining the registry to a licensed voluntary agency with expertise in providing postlegal adoption services, in which case the agency shall establish and maintain the registry that would otherwise be operated by the department.
(c) The department shall keep records of every adult adoptee and birth parent reunited through the use of the mutual consent voluntary adoption registry.
(a) (1) The adult adoptee and each birth parent and each individual related within the second degree whose identity is to be disclosed may voluntarily place his or her name in the appropriate registry by submitting a notarized affidavit stating his or her name, address, and telephone number and his or her willingness to be identified solely to the other relevant persons who register.
(2) No registration shall be accepted until the prospective registrant submits satisfactory proof of his or her identity in accord with rules specified in § 9-9-508.
(3) The failure to file a notarized affidavit with the registry for any reason, except death, shall preclude the disclosure of identifying information to those persons who do register.
(b) (1) (A) Upon registering, the registrant shall participate in not less than one (1) hour of counseling with a social worker employed by the entity that operates the registry. If a birth parent or adult adoptee is domiciled outside the state, he or she shall obtain counseling from a social worker employed by a licensed agency in that other state selected by the entity that operates the registry.
(B) If a birth parent or adult adoptee is domiciled outside the state, he or she shall obtain counseling from a social worker employed by a licensed agency in that other state selected by the entity that operates the registry.
(2) When an eligible person registers concerning an adoption that was arranged through an agency that has not merged or otherwise ceased operations, and that same agency is not operating the registry, the entity operating the registry shall notify, by certified mail within ten (10) business days after the date of registration, the agency that handled the adoption.
(c) In any case in which the identity of the birth father was unknown to the birth mother, or in which the administrator learns that one (1) or both birth parents are deceased, this information shall be shared with the adult adoptee. In those cases, the adoptee shall not be able to obtain identifying information through the registry, and he or she shall be told of his or her right to pursue whatever right otherwise exists by law to petition a court to release the identifying information.
(E) (i) The name and address of the adoption agency or other entity, organization, or person placing the adopted child, if known.
(ii) The affiant shall notify the registry of any change in name or location which occurs subsequent to his or her filing the affidavit.
(4) (A) The administrator of the mutual consent voluntary adoption registry shall process each affidavit in an attempt to match the adult adoptee and the birth parents or individuals related within the second degree. The processing shall include research from agency records, when available, and when agency records are not available, research from court records to determine conclusively whether the affiants match.
(6) (A) An agency receiving an assignment of a match under the provisions of this subchapter shall directly or by contract with a licensed adoption agency in this state notify all registrants through a direct and confidential contact.
(B) The contact shall be made by an employee or agent of the agency receiving the assignment.
(C) The employee or agent shall be a trained social worker who has expertise in postlegal adoption services.
(e) (1) Any affidavits filed and other information collected shall be retained for ninety-nine (99) years following the date of registration.
(2) Any qualified person may choose to remove his or her name from the registry at any time by filing a notarized affidavit with the registry.
(f) (1) A mutual consent voluntary adoption registry shall obtain only information necessary for identifying registrants.
(2) In no event shall the registry obtain information of any kind pertaining to the adoptive parents or any siblings to the adult adoptee who are children of the adoptive parents.
(g) All costs for establishing and maintaining a mutual consent voluntary adoption registry shall be obtained through users’ fees charged to all persons who register.
(h) Beginning January 1, 2002, the Department of Human Services shall place the affidavit form for placement on the mutual adoption registry on the department’s website.
This is one of the worse bills, I hope they are working on revisions.
It’s been enacted and awaiting implementation. I seriously doubt there is any effort or impetus to amend the law at this point.
Did I understand correctly? If my bio parents are deceased, I cannot get identifying information? I have located both sides of the family and simply want this final piece to complete the picture of me. I have a relationship with both sides as well, and it is positive.
If I am correct, why would this information be withheld and available only under court order?
Beginning next year in August you will be able to request your original birth certificate. That will likely have your mother’s name on it and possibly your father’s, depending on the circumstances of your birth. If they are both now deceased, you will receive the OBC without any redactions (black boxes or deletion of names). So your best bet, at least for the OBC, is to wait to request it in August 2018.
Thank you for this information. I will try this in August 2018. Does this mean that my birth certificate of my adoption will be changed or deleted?
No birth certificate will be changed. Under the new law in Arkansas a birthparent can request redaction of information, meaning that parent’s identifying information will be removed from the original birth certificate. An amended birth certificate—the one issued after an adoption—remains unchanged.
As someone who was put up for adoption at birth and with no family medical history. I am very happy about this bill. I will be waiting in line to get mine!
I know that both of my birth parents, who were not married, are deceased. Is there any reason their names will not be on my birth certificate when requested later this year?
I do not see a reason why their names will not be on the birth certificate, particularly if they were deceased before this law was passed. Keep in mind, however, that in most states a father was not listed on a birth certificate if the couple was unmarried, unless other legalities were in place to name him on the certificate (or the mother named him and it was added without regard to the law at the time). And it’s possible the wrong names were reported if the parents or the agency involved wanted to hide the birth for some reason. My hope is you get what you deserve: truth. Good luck!
My son was adopted at birth this year (open). I was informed by the law firm representing the adoptive family that no original birth certificate was issued, since he was adopted at birth. Is this correct?
An original birth certificate is always issued (though in surrogacy and IVF cases it may not reflect the full reality of the birth). But the OBC is the first and sometimes only birth certificate issued because it records the actual birth of the child to the biological parent(s). I’m wondering if they mean an amended birth certificate was not issued? Under Arkansas law (and a number of other states), adoptive parents may request that an amended certificate not be issued. That would mean there is only an original birth certificate and, if you are the mother, you would be the mother listed on that certificate. It would also mean that the original birth certificate is not sealed.
I’d ask again to clarify whether they mean an original birth certificate or an amended certificate. What they are saying does not make complete sense.
I’ve reread the letter. It says that a birth certificate under the name I had given him had not been issued. Would this mean his original birth certificate is nameless or would it bear the name given to him by his adoptive parents for some reason? His father and I knew the family would be giving him a different name, but we were assured prior to the finalization that it would not be an issue.
Hmmm. I wonder if the phrasing of the letter is just wrong or confusing. I’m assuming you 1) gave birth to your son; and 2) you reported the facts of that birth as part of what is required under Arkansas law (your name, father’s name if lawful to include him on the registration), and other information about you. The adoption decree, once final, would be provided to vital records and vital records would issue a new birth certificate under a new name, as stated in the decree, and listing the adoptive parents as the parents. The original birth certificate would then be sealed. My guess is they are talking about an amended birth certificate that was issued, without the the name you gave your son. The amended birth certificate is now the only birth certificate available to you and to the adoptive parents, unless you receive a court order to obtain the original. Otherwise, it does not make sense. Are they open to providing you with a copy of the birth certificate that was issued to them?
Ugh. Adoptive parents do not have a right to obtain the original birth certificate, except by court order. This is pretty common knowledge and I’m surprised the attorneys believed they could obtain the OBC after finalization of the adoption. And, unfortunately under most state laws including Arkansas, birthparents also do not have a right to obtain the original birth certificate once it is sealed after an adoption. I personally think this is dumb, as birthparents have all the knowledge as to what is on the original record, likely signed it, and could have obtained a copy of the certificate before it was sealed. My only suggestion is to contact the attorneys and determine if they would join with you and request that a copy of the OBC be provided to you. I do not know if that would work or how the court may decide the issue.
Also, they are plain wrong that “since the child was adopted at birth, a birth certificate in the name of (original) was never issued.” There is a birth record on file with your name and any other names and information that were recorded by law when your son’s birth was registered. Whether one can be issued now is up to the court, but it is highly likely one was “issued” for various reasons, including making the certificate part of the adoption file. Finally, an OBC can be issued to adoptees under a new law that is not yet in effect, but adoptees under that new law must be 21 years of age to request them. That obviously doesn’t help you today.
*They were going to request an original while in the process of amending the original.
Thank you so much! I’ve worried myself sick that my son just wouldn’t have an original or, if he did, it would be nameless. Thank you.
I was adopted at birth. I have the adoption records and a birth certificate. I did some yrs ago see one copy that list my adopted parents name on it but ages were incorrect. Many moves latter I don’t know where it is. What are the exact steps I need to take to get the OBC? I live out of state and have no wishes other than medical history to to contact birt parents.
If you only want medical history and birth name but no contact is ther a different process?
Hi, Mark. The law is about to change so that most—not all—Arkansas adoptees can request and obtain their original birth certificates, which is included as part of the “adoption file.” Birthparents, however, have a right to request the redaction of their names from the OBC. The adoption file, which includes the OBC, may also contain a contact preference form indicating whether or not the parent wants contact with the adoptee. The law does not require a birthparent to file this form, but if it is filed it will also contain genetic and social history of that parent.
The law does not take full effect until August 2018, so you will have to wait until that time to request your adoption file. But there is no contact of the birthparent as part of requesting your OBC.
I was adopted by private adoption in Arkansas in 197O. I was one week of age at the time of the adoption. I found my birth mother in or about 1997. Both of my adoptive parents are now deceased.
I have the court document that my birth mother signed when signing over her rights, have the baby ID bracelet, and have the court records from the adoption .
I’m having significant health issues, some stemmed at or after birth, and need my medical records from the hospital. What is the process?
My birth mother is also aware that I’m trying to obtain the records.
Obtaining medical records from more than 40 years ago will depend on a number of things: 1) locating the hospital that may have the records; 2) requesting them with signed authorizations from you and, very likely required, from your birthmother; and 3) being persistent to determine if the hospital has actually destroyed the records, as it is likely it will respond that the records no longer exist. Medical records are tough to get for these reasons. I wish I had better advice but it really depends on tracking them down and figuring out exactly what the hospital will require to release them. Good luck!
My step son is adopted in 1976. He was born in 1974 in Pennsylvania but adopted in Arkansas through DHS. Who should he contact to get his original birth certificate Pennsylvania or Arkansas? And how can he find his birth parents by going through Arkansas or Pennsylvania DHS?
His original and amended birth certificate should be on file with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s new law allows him to request a copy of a “summary” of his birth record which should provide him with birthparent names, if listed. A birthparent under Pennsylvania law, however, may request that his or her name be redacted from the record. I have more information on Pennsylvania law here and you can find forms and other information on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website here.
Hi, Yes, I would start with PA since that is where it’s open now. Let’s hope they will respect that.
In 1966 was placed with my adopted parents when I was 3 days old. The Dr. who delivered me was the family doctor for both my bio and adopted families. He brought me straight from the hospital to my parents house and 6 months later the adoption was finalized. I spoke with Dr. Joseph twice when I was in my 20’s and he told me both bio parents are deceased but he wouldn’t tell me their names. Because an agency or foster care wasn’t used my parents were not given any information and we’re just so happy to have a baby they didn’t care.
I’ve lived in California for the last 50 years but 2 of my cousins contacted me today regarding the new legislation that was passed and I mailed off my request & substation this afternoon.
So, here’s my question, am I understanding correctly that I have to wait 1 year after Dept of Health receives my request before I may get my original birth certificate in the event the bio parents want their names redacted?
If so, what if they are deceased? Does Dept of Health cross reference their names against death certificates and I may get the information sooner?
I appreciate any insight you can provide.
No, there is no further delay in processing requests for your adoption file. Once you submit your form and payment, the Department of Health will begin to process the request and send you the adoption file (which includes the original birth certificate). Only if a birthparent had already filed a redaction request would the department redact information. If birthparents had already died some time ago, then no redaction request could have been made. You should be good to go and will likely receive something in a few weeks, provided the department has enough staff to handle the requests.
In your reply to Mark on April 20th, you said “The law is about to change so that most—not all—Arkansas adoptees can request and obtain their original birth certificates.” Can you explain why some adoptees will not be able to obtain their OBCs? Thank you for your help.
I slightly misspoke. So long as the OBC is in the adoption file, adult adoptees who request it will receive it. Nevertheless, some adoptees will receive an original birth certificate with the name of a birthparent redacted or removed. So, not all adult adoptees will receive an unredacted OBC. Sorry about the confusion.
Forms and information about the new Arkansas law are now available on the Arkansas Department of Health website.
Reconsidering the Presumption: A Proposal to Provide Arkansas's Adult Adoptees Open Access to Their Original Birth Records, The Arkansas Journal of Social Change and Public Service, Vol. 4, 2015.

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