STAND. COM. REP. NO.  478

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1407

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1407 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADOPTION RECORDS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to aid adoptees in gaining access to their family and medical history by:

 

     (1)  Requiring that the name or names of either or both of the natural parents be included on birth certificates amended in the case of adoption; and

 

     (2)  Allowing access to sealed adoption records to those who are parties to the adoption.

 

     Korean Adoptees of Hawaii, Adoption Circle of Hawaii, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Judiciary offered comments.

 

     Your Committee acknowledges that testimony submitted by the Judiciary notes concerns with eliminating the birth parents' option of anonymity in adoptions, since this mandate may be at odds with constitutionally protected rights of privacy for the adoptee, the adoptive parents, and the birth parents.  Moreover, clarification may be needed to indicate that new provisions pertaining to confidentiality of adoptions records are to be applied to new adoption cases only, if this is the Legislature's intent. 

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1407 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair