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Jenna has brought our attention to the North Carolina news of House Bill 455 and even interviewed Roberta MacDonald, who is chairwoman of the North Carolina Adoption Reform Coalition.
Originally the bill would have allowed adult adoptees in North Carolina rights to their original birth certificate. After it became clear that the bill as written would probably not be passed modifications were made to the bill which as written now would allow a licensed adoption agency to contact a birth parent in a confidential way if an adoptee (age 21 or older) needed updated medical/background information. If in the course of obtaining updated medical/background information both the adoptee and the birth parents wanted to meet, this bill would allow a licensed agency to share identifying information with written consent from both parties. As the law stands now even if both parties agree confidential information can not be shared unless they go and petition the court. House Bill 455 would eliminate the need of going to court. It’s not a perfect bill, but definitely a step in the right direction.
Tonight, I received an urgent email from Edith Votta who is the Director of Post Adoption Services at the Children’s Home Society in North Carolina. Edith has also been active in trying to help get the bill passed.
Apparently the bill has now been stalled in the Judiciary II Committee and the assistance of North Carolina residents is now needed! It is important that these Committee members hear from North Carolina residents in support of the bill.
Below I have listed the committee member’s names, email addresses, and telephone numbers. If you call or email simply tell them or the aide who answers the phone if you call, who you are and that you are calling about House Bill 445 that is waiting to be heard in the Judiciary II committee. Let them know that you hope the bill will be heard soon and wanted Senator ___ to know that you are very supportive of the bill.
If you do call or email, I’d love to know it, so please comment below and let me know!
Chairman of the Committee:
Sen. Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr.
Email: Fletcherh@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 733-7223
Vice Chairmen of the Committee:
Sen. Austin M. Allran
Email: Austina@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 733-5876
Sen. Doug Berger
Email: dougb@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 715-8363
Sen. Ed Jones
Email: Edwardj@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 715-3032
Committee Members:
Sen. Tom Apodaca
Email: Toma@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 733-5745
Sen. Bob Atwater
Email: Boba@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 715-3036
Sen. Stan Bingham
Email: stanb@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 733-5665
Sen. Walter H. Dalton
Email: Walterd@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)715-3038
Sen. Charlie Smith Dannelly
Email: Charlied@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)733-5955
Sen. Katie G. Dorsettt
Email: Katied@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)715-3042
Sen. Don East
Email: done@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)733-5743
Sen. W. Edward (edie) Goodall
Email: Eddieg@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)733-7659
Sen. Jim Jacumin
Email: Jimja@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)715-7823
Sen. John H. Kerr III
Email: Johnk@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)733-5621
Sen. Joe Sam Queen
Email: JoeQ@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)733-3460
Sen. John Snow
Email: Johnsn@ncleg.net
Phone: (919(733-5875
Sen. A.B. Swindell
Email: abs@ncleg.net
Phone: (919)715-3030
I just e-mailed all of them. I am going to forward a link to this post to a bunch of my friends. We should be able to rally up some NC support. :0)
You might want to fix a couple of the e-mail links: (Berger & East). I was able to e-mail them, but the direct links did not work.
Thanks for putting all this information in one place. It made it MUCH easier to do this.
- Faith
Oh great Faith! Thanks for telling me about the links, I will go fix them!
At least one of my friends e-mailed them, too. I sent out an e-mail to a bunch of people, so here’s hoping they will respond, too.
- Faith
I received this e-mail from Roberta MacDonald, Chairwoman for the NC Coalition for Adoption Reform. She was having trouble posting a comment, so she asked me to do it for her:
Faith,
I seem to be having some problems in getting a message out to the blog. Would you please put one out there letting them know that HB445 is on the Senate JII calendar for next Tuesday at 10:00 am. Thank everyone who wrote or called their legislator because it must have helped.
Will keep everyone up to date on what happens.
Yes, I heard about that! Thank you for posting it here, Faith!!
Wanted to let everyone know that HB445 passed out of the Senate JII committee unanimously 13-0 today. It could be heard as early as tomorrow on the Senate floor.
I want to thank any and everyone who have been behind us on the change we made to this bill. It IS a step in the RIGHT direction for NC.
We also have a House and Senate Legislative Study Commission which will be enacted between the 2007 and 2008 sessions to look at the adult adoptee access to OBC and a mirad of other items.
Roberta
Fantastic! Thanks for the update, NCReformist!
Thanks Roberta!
The bill just passed the Senate unanimously!!!! It will now be sent to the Governor for his signature. The bill be effective 1/1/08.
Our voices were heard and it made a difference!
Fantastic! Great work!