
The Louisiana House approves House Bill 450 which gives an adoptee access to their birth certificate once they reach the age of 24. Rosepine Representative Charles Owen, who’s adopted himself, said adopted children born in Louisiana are barred from seeing their original birth certificate unless they provide a judge with a compelling reason like…
“Health-related, or verifying someone in the registry that Louisiana’s created, or inheritance. Wanting to know who you were, where you came from, the fact that it’s your document is not apparently a compelling reason,” said Owen.
The bill faces opposition from anti-abortion groups and Owen was questioned if other states who have similar access have seen an increase in their abortion rate, he said he’s seen just the opposite in states similar to Louisiana.
“In every state that I have data on, Alabama especially, their rate of abortion decline is faster than ours over the period of that they’ve had this law in place,” said Owen.
Owens said in Alabama they’ve had a similar law for 22 years.
Thibodeaux Representative Bryan Fontenot said he thought a birth mother remained anonymous in adoption proceedings, but Owen said that’s a falsehood many believe. Fontenot said a mother should give consent if she wishes to later be contacted by the child.
“And if you are correct and that all of these end in happy endings then there will be no negative effect to get the mother’s approval,” said Fontenot.
“I don’t know that they all end in happy endings, but I know that grown people deserve the right to their documents,” said Owen.
Owen amended the bill to allow birth parents to submit a form indicating if they’d like to be contacted or not.
Due to inheritance laws in Louisiana where a child could claim forced inheritance if a birth parent dies before the child reaches the age of 24, is why access is only allowed after the adoptee is 24 years old. After the adoptee reaches the age of 24 a birth parent is given the option to write them into a will.
The bill passed on a 76 to 21 vote and now heads to the Senate.
Comments