Access Massachusetts
An Act granting equal access to original birth certificates to all persons born in Massachusetts was signed into law by Governor Baker on 8/5/2022. All adoptees born in MA, regardless of date of birth, have access to their own original birth certificates, effective 11/3/2022!
The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics has updated its website to reflect the new law and the revised application form.
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-pre-adoption-birth-record
We extend endless thanks to everyone who has worked to make this happen, but especially to our sponsors, Senator Anne Gobi, Representative Sean Garballey, and Representative Kate Hogan. Click here to read the bills' history during the 2021-2022 session.
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The Access Massachusetts bill requests that M.G.L. Chapter 46 Section 2B be amended by striking the highlighted language that denies access to original birth certificates to adopted persons born between July 17, 1974 and December 31, 2007.
Upon written application, which shall include proof of identity and payment of applicable fees, by an adopted person 18 years of age or older who was born in the commonwealth on or before July 17, 1974 or on or after January 1, 2008 or by an adoptive parent of an adopted person under 18 years of age and born in the commonwealth on or after January 1, 2008, the state registrar shall:
(a) make available for inspection at the offices of the state registry the birth certificate prior to adoption which indicated the prior legal parent or parents listed on the initial birth certificate or if there has been more than 1 adoption, the birth certificate prior to the first adoption which indicates the parent or parents listed on the birth certificate prior to adoption.
(b) send by certified mail return receipt to the adopted person age 18 or older or to the parents of an adopted person under 18 years of age a photocopy of the contents of the birth record with the following notation on it: “The contents of this birth record are being released under section 2B of chapter 46 of the Massachusetts General Laws or under a court order. This record was amended by adoption. This is not a certified copy of a birth record.”
Legislative Sponsors and Co-sponsors
2020
Representative Sean Garballey, 23rd Middlesex
Representative Kate Hogan, 3rd Middlesex
Senator Anne M. Gobi, Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire & Middlesex
Representative Hannah Kane, 11th Worcester
Representative Adrian Madaro, 1st Suffolk
Representative Daniel R. Carey, 2nd Hampshire
Representative Angelo Puppolo, Jr., 12th Hampden
Representative Kimberly N. Ferguson, 1st Worcester
Representative Lindsay N. Sabadosa, 1st Hampshire
Representative Kimberly N. Ferguson, 1st Worcester
Representative Maria Duaime Robinson, 6th Middlesex
Representative Kay Khan, 11th Middlesex
Representative Kip A. Diggs, 2nd Barnstable
Representative Tram T. Nguyen, 18th Essex
Susannah M. Whipps, 2nd Franklin
Representative Jack Patrick Lewis, 7th Middlesex
Representative Steven Ultrino, 33rd Middlesex
Representative M. Smola, 1st Hampden
Representative Jessica Ann Giannino, 16th Suffolk
Representative Joseph D. McKenna, 18th Worcester
Senator Joanne M. Comerford, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
Senator Michael Moore, Second Worcester
Representative Brian Murray, 10th Worcester
Representative James J. O'Day, 14th Worcester
Representative Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr., 5th Worcester
Representative David M. Rogers, 24th Middlesex
Representative Daniel J. Ryan, 2nd Suffolk
Representative Mary S. Keefe, 15th Worcester
Representative Thomas M. Stanley, 9th Middlesex
Representative Tommy Vitolo, 15th Norfolk
Senator Sal N. DiDomenico, Middlesex and Suffolk
2019
Representative Sean Garballey, 23rd Middlesex
Representative Daniel Cullinane, 12th Suffolk
Senator Anne M. Gobi, Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire & Middlesex
Representative Kate Hogan, 3rd Middlesex
Representative Louis L. Kafka, 8th Norfolk
Senator Dean A. Tran, Worcester and Middlesex
Representative David Paul Linsky, 5th Middlesex
Representative Tommy Vitolo, 15th Norfolk
Representative Tram T. Nguyen, 18th Essex
Representative Ruth B. Balser, 12th Middlesex
Representative Brian M. Ashe, 2nd Hampden
Representative Jonathan Hecht, 29th Middlesex
Representative Maria Duaime Robinson, 6th Middlesex
Representative Kimberly N. Ferguson, 1st Worcester
Representative Josh S. Cutler, 6th Plymouth
Representative Steven Ultrino, 33rd Middlesex
Representative Lindsay N. Sabadosa, 1st Hampshire
Representative David Allen Robertson, 19th Middlesex
Representative Joseph D. McKenna, 18th Worcester
Representative Hannah Kane, 11th Worcester
Representative Kenneth I. Gordon, 21st Middlesex
Representative Thomas M. Stanley, 9th Middlesex
Senator Bruce E. Tarr, First Essex and Middlesex
Representative Shaunna L. O'Connell, 3rd Bristol
Representative Steven S. Howitt, 4th Bristol
Representative Daniel R. Carey, 2nd Hampshire
Representative Denise Provost, 27th Middlesex
Representative Jeffrey N. Roy, 10th Norfolk
Representative John C. Velis, 4th Hampden
Representative Marjorie C. Decker, 25th Middlesex
Representative Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr., 5th Worcester
Representative Bradley H. Jones, Jr., 20th Middlesex
Representative Susan Williams Gifford, 2nd Plymouth
Representative Natalie M. Higgins, 4th Worcester
Representative Paul McMurtry, 11th Norfolk
Representative Smitty Pignatelli, 4th Berkshire
Representative Susannah M. Whipps, 2nd Franklin
Senator James B. Eldridge, Middlesex and Worcester
Representative Angelo L. D'Emilia, 8th Plymouth
Representative David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf, 17th Worcester
Representative Kay Khan, 11th Middlesex
Representative Brian W. Murray, 10th Worcester
Representative Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr., 28th Middlesex
Representative David M. Rogers, 24th Middlesex
Representative Carole A. Fiola, 6th Bristol
Representative Daniel J. Hunt, 13th Suffolk
Senator Joanne M. Comerford, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
Senator Sal N. DiDomenico, Middlesex and Suffolk
Senator Joan B. Lovely, Second Essex
Senator Rebecca L. Rausch, Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex
Representative Jack Patrick Lewis, 7th Middlesex
2017
Senator Jamie Eldridge, Middlesex and Worcester
Representative Sean Garballey, 23rd Middlesex
Representative Kate Hogan, 3rd Middlesex
Senator William Brownsberger, Second Suffolk and Middlesex
Representative Aaron Vega, 5th Hampden
Representative Daniel J. Hunt, 13th Suffolk
Representative Jonathan Hecht, 29th Middlesex
Representative John J. Lawn, Jr., 10th Middlesex
Representative Jennifer Benson, 37th Middlesex
Representative Kenneth I. Gordon, 21st Middlesex
Representative Kevin G. Honan, 17th Suffolk
Senator Richard J. Ross, Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex
Senator Barbara L'Italien, Second Essex and Middlesex
Representative Joseph McKenna, 18th Worcester
Representative David Linsky, 5th Middlesex
Representative John C. Velis, 4th Hampden
Senator Michael D. Brady, Second Plymouth and Bristol
Representative Thomas M. Stanley, 9th Middlesex
Representative Danielle W. Gregoire, 4th Middlesex
Senator Anne M. Gobi, Worcester, Hamden, Hampshire and Middlesex
Senator Sal N. DiDomenico, Middlesex and Suffolk
Representative James M. Cantwell, 4th Plymouth
Representative Kay Khan, 11th Middlesex
Representative Bradley H. Jones, Jr., 20th Middlesex
Representative Denise Provost, 27th Middlesex
Senator Michael F. Rush, Norfolk and Suffolk
Representative Steven Ultrino, 33rd Middlesex
Representative Byron Rushing, 9th Suffolk
Representative Susan Williams Gifford, 2nd Plymouth
Senator Joan B. Lovely, Second Essex
Representative Paul R. Heroux, 2nd Bristol
Representative Louis L. Kafka, 8th Norfolk
Representative Elizabeth Malia, 11th Suffolk
Senator Eric P. Lesser, First Hamden and Hampshire
James R. Miceli 19th Middlesex
Marjorie C. Decker 25th Middlesex
Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr. 28th Middlesex
Kimberly N. Ferguson 1st Worcester
Angelo L. D'Emilia 8th Plymouth
Carolyn C. Dykema 8th Middlesex
Shaunna L. O'Connell 3rd Bristol
Patricia D. Jehlen Second Middlesex
Tricia Farley-Bouvier 3rd Berkshire
Elizabeth A. Poirier 14th Bristol
William Crocker 2nd Barnstable
Representative Juana Matias 16th Essex
2015 - 2016
Representative John Rogers, Norwood
Senator Michael F. Rush, West Roxbury
Representative John J. Lawn, Jr., Watertown
Representative Kenneth I. Gordon, Waltham
Representative Thomas M. Stanley, Waltham
Representative Ruth B. Balser, Newton
Representative Kate Hogan, Stow
Representative Daniel Hunt, Dorchester
Representative Sean Garballey, Arlington
Representative Denise Provost, Somerville
Representative Byron Rushing, Boston
Representative Louis L. Kafka, Stoughton
Representative Kay Khan, Newton
Representative Bradley H. Jones, Jr., North Reading
Representative Shaunna O'Connell, Taunton
Representative Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., Cambridge
Representative Denise C. Garlick, Needham
Representative Michelle M. DuBois, Brockton
Representative Danielle W. Gregoire, Marlborough
Representative Susan Williams Gifford, Wareham
Representative Benjamin Swan, Springfield
Representative Jennifer Benson, Lunenburg
Senator Sal N. DiDomenico, Everett
Contact your legislators - Letter Template
Grace Hilliard-Koshinsky has developed a template for writing to Massachusetts State Representatives and/or Senators to urge them to co-sponsor An Act granting equal access to original birth certificates to all adopted persons born in Massachusetts.
Download the template here. Grace's template includes standard language, and sections in red that you should replace to personalize.
Find legislator contact info here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator