Updated: 02/10/2015 6:50 PM Created: 02/10/2015 6:49 PM WNYT.com By: Samantha DiMascio ALBANY - There's a renewed push for an Adoptee Bill of Rights in New York State. Versions of this bill have been introduced in previous sessions, but never made it to the floor for a vote. Assemblyman, David Weprin, says he's much more optimistic the bill will go further this time around. The assemblyman calls the current legal obstacle a civil rights issue, “Why should an adult adoptee have less rights than any other adult citizen in the state of New York?, said Weprin. The bill would allow for an adopted person, 18 years or older to get a copy of their original birth certificate and medical records. As of now, those documents are sealed at the time of adoption. Carolyn, an adult adoptee says, “It’s really not about reunion necessarily, but it's about our right to know who we are.” She was adopted in 1964. The mother of three says it's not only her health history she's seeking. “I did not find out that a disability that one of my children has is genetically based. We went through eight different diagnoses before the doctors finally got it right. Had I had a medical history we would not have gone through that long period of time,” said Carolyn. Much of the argument against this bill is the protection of privacy. However, one birth mother says once she learned of vital health information, she tried to reach out. Jill says the law prevented her from doing that. “His [the biological father] mother had heart disease in her family and all of her siblings, she had a heart attack as well. So all of a sudden it dawned on me that this son of mine out there somewhere had no idea that he potentially had a ticking time bomb,” said Jill. So, she hired a private investigator and was able to track her son down. Weprin says, many people don't have that luxury and this bill is designed to help those people. The assemblyman says the bill would also give the option for a birth parent to decide whether they wish to be contacted by their child. If they opt out, the records are released, without a trace. Weprin said this bill has more sponsors than ever before. He's hoping the new leadership in the assembly will take that into consideration this session.
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