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Assembly Bill A7840A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides that consenting registrants of the adoption information registry may pre-authorize the release of identifying information

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Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

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Bill Amendments

2025-A7840 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S6578
Law Section:
Public Health Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §4138-c, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S8605

2025-A7840 - Summary

Provides that consenting registrants of the adoption information registry may pre-authorize the release of identifying information.

2025-A7840 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7840
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the public health law, in relation to the release of
   identifying information of consenting registrants  from  the  adoption
   registry
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 4138-c of the public  health  law,
 as  amended  by  chapter  181 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
 follows:
   6. Upon receipt of a final consent OR IF  GIVEN  PRE-AUTHORIZATION  ON
 THE  APPROPRIATE  FORM  by  the adoptee, by either of the birth parents,
 and/or by a biological sibling of the  adoptee,  the  department  shall,
 unless  the  adoptee or biological sibling registrant shall elect other-
 wise, if an authorized agency was involved  in  such  adoption,  release
 identifying  information  to  such  agency; such agency shall thereafter
 promptly release identifying information  about  the  consenting  regis-
 trants  to  the  consenting  registrants.  If  no  authorized agency was
 involved, or if any registrant shall have elected not to have release of
 the information by the authorized agency involved in such  adoption  the
 department  shall  release  identifying  information  to  the consenting
 registrants. Such identifying information shall be limited to the  names
 and  addresses  of  the consenting registrants and shall not include any
 other information contained in the adoption or birth  records.  However,
 nothing  in  this  section  shall be construed to prevent the release of
 adoption records as otherwise permitted by law.
   § 2. Section 206 of the public health law is amended by adding  a  new
 subdivision 33 to read as follows:
   33.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE
 CREATION OF A PRE-AUTHORIZATION FORM TO BE USED BY AN ADOPTEE, EITHER OF
 THE BIRTH PARENTS, AND/OR A BIOLOGICAL SIBLING TO CONSENT TO THE RELEASE

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11033-01-5

co-Sponsors

2025-A7840A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S6578
Law Section:
Public Health Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §4138-c, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S8605

2025-A7840A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that consenting registrants of the adoption information registry may pre-authorize the release of identifying information.

2025-A7840A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7840--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Health -- recommitted to the Committee on Health in accordance with
   Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the public health law, in relation to the release of
   identifying information of consenting registrants  from  the  adoption
   registry
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 4138-c of the public  health  law,
 as  amended  by  chapter  181 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
 follows:
   6. Upon receipt of a final consent OR PRE-AUTHORIZATION  CONSENT  FORM
 by  the  adoptee, by either of the birth parents, and/or by a biological
 sibling of the adoptee, the department  shall,  unless  the  adoptee  or
 biological  sibling  registrant  shall elect otherwise, if an authorized
 agency was involved in such adoption, release identifying information to
 such agency; such agency shall thereafter promptly  release  identifying
 information  about  the  consenting registrants to the consenting regis-
 trants. If no authorized agency was involved, or if any registrant shall
 have elected not to have release of the information  by  the  authorized
 agency  involved in such adoption the department shall release identify-
 ing information to the consenting registrants. Such identifying informa-
 tion shall be limited to the  names  and  addresses  of  the  consenting
 registrants and shall not include any other information contained in the
 adoption  or  birth  records.  However, nothing in this section shall be
 construed to prevent  the  release  of  adoption  records  as  otherwise
 permitted by law.
   §  2.  Section  4138-c of the public health law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 6-b to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11033-02-6
 A. 7840--A                          2

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