SB1458eng 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1458 Engrossed LRB094 10659 LCB 41019 b

AN ACT concerning adoption.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Adoption Act is amended by changing Section 18.05 as follows:

(750 ILCS 50/18.05)

Sec. 18.05. The Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange.

(a) General function. Subject to appropriation, the Department of Public Health shall redefine the function of the Illinois Adoption Registry and create the Medical Information Exchange in the manner outlined in subsections (b) and (c) for the purpose of facilitating the voluntary exchange of medical information between mutually consenting birth parents or birth siblings and mutually consenting adoptive parents or legal guardians of adopted or surrendered persons under the age of 21 or adopted or surrendered persons 21 years of age or over. The Department shall establish rules for the confidential operation of the Illinois Adoption Registry. Beginning January 1, 2000, the Department shall conduct a public information campaign through public service announcements and other forms of media coverage and, for a minimum of 4 years, through notices enclosed with driver's license renewal applications, shall inform adopted and surrendered persons born, surrendered, or adopted in Illinois and their adoptive parents, legal guardians, birth parents and birth siblings of the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange. The Department shall notify all parties who registered with the Illinois Adoption Registry prior to January 1, 2000 of the provisions of this amendatory Act of 1999. The Illinois Adoption Registry shall also maintain an informational Internet site where interested parties may access information about the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange and download all necessary application forms. The Illinois Adoption Registry shall maintain statistical records regarding Registry participation and publish and circulate to the public informational material about the function and operation of the Registry.

(b) Establishment of the Adoption/Surrender Records File. When a person has voluntarily registered with the Illinois Adoption Registry and completed an Illinois Adoption Registry Application or a Registration Identification Form, the Registry shall establish a new Adoption/Surrender Records File. Such file may concern an adoption that was finalized by a court action in the State of Illinois, an adoption of a person born in Illinois finalized by a court action in a state other than Illinois or in a foreign country, or a surrender taken in the State of Illinois, or an adoption filed according to Section 16.1 of the Vital Records Act under a Record of Foreign Birth that was not finalized by a court action in the State of Illinois. Such file may be established for adoptions or surrenders finalized prior to as well as after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1999. A file may be created in any manner to preserve documents including but not limited to microfilm, optical imaging, or electronic documents.

(c) Contents of the Adoption/Surrender Records File. An established Adoption/Surrender Records File shall be limited to the following items, to the extent that they are available:

(1) The General Information Section and Medical Information Exchange Questionnaire of any Illinois Adoption Registry Application or a Registration Identification Form which has been voluntarily completed by the adopted or surrendered person or his or her adoptive parents, legal guardians, birth parents, or birth siblings.

(2) Any photographs voluntarily provided by any registrant for the adopted or surrendered person or his or her adoptive parents, legal guardians, birth parents, or birth siblings at the time of registration or any time thereafter. All such photographs shall be submitted in an unsealed envelope no larger than 8 1/2" x 11", and shall not include identifying information pertaining to any person other than the registrant who submitted them. Any such identifying information shall be redacted by the Department or the information shall be returned for removal of identifying information.

(3) Any Information Exchange Authorization or Denial of Information Exchange which has been filed by a registrant.

(4) For all adoptions finalized after January 1, 2000, copies of the original certificate of live birth and the certificate of adoption.

(5) Any updated address submitted by any registered party about himself or herself.

(6) Any proof of death which has been submitted by an adopted or surrendered person, adoptive parent, legal guardian, birth parent, or birth sibling.

(d) An established Adoption/Surrender Records File for an adoption filed in Illinois under a Record of Foreign Birth that was not finalized in a court action in the State of Illinois shall be limited to the following items submitted to the State Registrar of Vital Records under Section 16.1 of the Vital Records Act, to the extent that they are available:

(1) Evidence as to the child's birth date and birthplace (including the country of birth and, if available, the city and province of birth) provided by the original birth certificate, or by a certified copy, extract, or translation thereof or by other document essentially equivalent thereto (the records of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service or of the U.S. Department of State to be considered essentially equivalent thereto).

(2) A certified copy, extract, or translation of the adoption decree or other document essentially equivalent thereto (the records of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service or of the U.S. Department of State to be considered essentially equivalent thereto).

(3) A copy of the IR-3 visa.

(4) The name and address of the adoption agency that handled the adoption.

(Source: P.A. 91-417, eff. 1-1-00.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2005.