S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8412
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
December 29, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to foreign adoptions
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 4138-b of the public health law, as amended by
chapter 395 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
§ 4138-b. Birth certificate: foreign [country] adoption. 1. Whenever
the [adoption or] finalization of a foreign adoption or recognition of a
foreign adoption of a [child] PERSON OF ANY AGE pursuant to section one
hundred eleven-c of the domestic relations law, OR THE ADOPTION OF A
FOREIGN-BORN PERSON OVER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN AT THE TIME OF ADOPTION has
been reported to the commissioner, the commissioner shall file a birth
certificate for the [child] ADOPTED PERSON provided there is no other
birth certificate or other birth record on file other than in the coun-
try where such [child] PERSON was born and provided, further, that a
certificate of birth data does not exist for that person. Such birth
certificate shall be filed upon receipt of: proof that the adoptive
parent was a resident of this state at the time of adoption OR THAT THE
ADOPTEE WAS LAWFULLY ADOPTED WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK; IF THE ADOP-
TEE WAS ADOPTED IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY OR JURISDICTION, a copy of the
adoption documents of the jurisdiction or country in which the [child]
PERSON was adopted; a certified translation of the foreign adoption
documents, evidence of the date and place of the [child's] ADOPTED
PERSON'S birth; and evidence of IR-3, IR-4 or IH-3 immigrant visa status
or a successor immigrant visa status. The birth certificate shall
include the [child's] ADOPTED PERSON'S name, sex, date of birth, time of
birth, place of birth, mother's maiden name, and father's name. A birth
certificate [for a foreign country adoption] ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION which has been filed by a local registrar and all supporting
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11546-01-3
A. 8412 2
documentation shall be submitted by the local registrar to the commis-
sioner who shall file a new birth certificate pursuant to this section.
2. A PETITIONER MAY SUBMIT AN ATTORNEY CERTIFIED COPY OF THE ADOPTEE'S
FOREIGN BIRTH CERTIFICATE, OR SIMILAR CONFIRMATION OF BIRTH, AND
ADOPTION DECREE, AND COPIES OF ATTORNEY CERTIFIED TRANSLATIONS OF THE
FOREIGN DOCUMENTATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE FINALIZATION OF A FOREIGN
ADOPTION OR RECOGNITION OF A FOREIGN ADOPTION PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE
HUNDRED ELEVEN-C OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW.
3. THIS PROVISION SHALL BE DEEMED RETROACTIVE SO THAT AN ADOPTED
PERSON WHO WAS ADOPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION PRIOR TO THE
EFFECTIVE DATE HEREOF MAY OBTAIN, UPON APPLICATION, A BIRTH CERTIFICATE
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
have become a law.