Representatives of NYARC participated last week in the New York State Department of Health workgroup convened on the directive of Governor Andrew Cuomo after his veto of A5036B in December. NYARC has now issued its report on the meeting, which is available to read and download.
We believe the meeting was productive and that it signaled strong and increased support for passage of clean adoptee rights legislation in New York. Highlights of the meeting included:
- discussion of the resolution of the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA), which supports the inherent rights of adult adopted persons to their personal biological family information, including access to their original birth certificates, agency records which relate to them and their biological family, and court records of their adoption;
- productive discussion of opposition from the Women’s Bar Association of New York (WBASNY), the only participant at the meeting to express any opposition to clean adoptee rights legislation;
- candid discussion with Assembly Member David I. Weprin and his staff about his sponsorship of clean legislation currently pending in the New York legislature and the chances for passage of that legislation;
- commitments from Assembly Member Weprin and other participants to follow up and meet to discuss moving forward to secure adoptees’ unrestricted access to their own original birth certificates;
We encourage you to read the full report and contact us by email with questions or comments. You can also participate in discussion by commenting below or by posting responses on the NYARC Facebook page. All of us involved in NYARC look forward to working with the thousands of adoptees and their allies to secure equal treatment for all New York adult adoptees.
