State-Focused Organizations/Groups
State-based legislative advocacy groups in the United States that are currently active or have been active recently on legislation affecting adult adoptees’ rights to original birth certificates. Click on markers for more information about the specific groups working in each state—information will appear under the map. See the interactive OBC maps to understand the color-coding of individual states. Don’t see your group or organization? Add it here.
US OBC Access General
Adoptee Rights Organizations II
Minnesota Coalition for Adoption Reform. Non-partisan, all-volunteer group of individuals working to reform Minnesota law so that adult adoptees will have access to their own original birth certificates.
Equality4Adoptees. Advocates for unrestricted access to original birth certificates in Texas and in every state where adoptees are denied their own truths.
Oklahoma Open. Advocates for adopted adults to have the same right to their original birth certificates as all other Oklahoma citizens, who can obtain theirs for a small fee.
Michigan Open Access. Seeks to restore unconditional access to birth certificates by adult adoptees. It also monitors Michigan adoption-related legislation.
California Open. California adult adoptees have a right to the records of their own births, second to none.
Support Texas Adoptee Rights. Dedicated to restoring access to original birth certificates for adopted people born in Texas, through policy advocacy and reform.
Iowa Adoptee and Family Coalition. A coalition of adult adoptees, birth & adoptive family members joining together to change the Iowa laws restricting access to Original Birth Certificates (OBC) and to educate Iowans about adoption and searching.
New York Adoptee Rights Coalition. Works to restore the right of all adult adoptees to obtain their original birth certificates without discriminatory conditions or restrictions.
Missouri Open. A grassroots organization of adult adoptees and others. Works toward the rights of adult adoptees to access their government held records.
Indiana HEAR. Hoosiers for Equal Access to Records is a group dedicated to equal access to original birth certificates (OBCs) for Indiana’s adoptees.
ROAR. Restore Ohio Adoptee Rights was a campaign of the Adoption Network Cleveland that ended in 2013 with passage of compromised legislation that expanded adult adoptee access to OBCs, subject to date-based restrictions, redactions, and disclosure vetoes.
New Jersey Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education A grassroots organization that supports honesty in adoption through educational outreach and legislative advocacy. We are dedicated to the proposition that all persons are created equal and should have the same civil rights under the law.
Florida Adoption Initiative for Reform (FAIR) has been founded to identify individual support from citizens who believe that all adult adoptees should have access to their original birth certificate as a civil and equal right.
Florida Adoption Reform and Education (FLARE). Closed Facebook group that has supported legislation with date-based and other restrictions to obtaining the original birth certificate.
Minnesota Coalition for Adoption Reform. Non-partisan, all-volunteer group of individuals working to reform Minnesota law so that adult adoptees will have access to their own original birth certificates.
Equality4Adoptees. Advocates for unrestricted access to original birth certificates in Texas and in every state where adoptees are denied their own truths.
Oklahoma Open. Advocates for adopted adults to have the same right to their original birth certificates as all other Oklahoma citizens, who can obtain theirs for a small fee.
Michigan Open Access. Seeks to restore unconditional access to birth certificates by adult adoptees. It also monitors Michigan adoption-related legislation.
California Open. California adult adoptees have a right to the records of their own births, second to none.
Support Texas Adoptee Rights. Dedicated to restoring access to original birth certificates for adopted people born in Texas, through policy advocacy and reform.
Iowa Adoptee and Family Coalition. A coalition of adult adoptees, birth & adoptive family members joining together to change the Iowa laws restricting access to Original Birth Certificates (OBC) and to educate Iowans about adoption and searching.
New York Adoptee Rights Coalition. Works to restore the right of all adult adoptees to obtain their original birth certificates without discriminatory conditions or restrictions.
Missouri Open. A grassroots organization of adult adoptees and others. Works toward the rights of adult adoptees to access their government held records.
Indiana HEAR. Hoosiers for Equal Access to Records is a group dedicated to equal access to original birth certificates (OBCs) for Indiana’s adoptees.
ROAR. Restore Ohio Adoptee Rights was a campaign of the Adoption Network Cleveland that ended in 2013 with passage of compromised legislation that expanded adult adoptee access to OBCs, subject to date-based restrictions, redactions, and disclosure vetoes.
New Jersey Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education A grassroots organization that supports honesty in adoption through educational outreach and legislative advocacy. We are dedicated to the proposition that all persons are created equal and should have the same civil rights under the law.
Florida Adoption Initiative for Reform (FAIR) has been founded to identify individual support from citizens who believe that all adult adoptees should have access to their original birth certificate as a civil and equal right.
Florida Adoption Reform and Education (FLARE). Closed Facebook group that has supported legislation with date-based and other restrictions to obtaining the original birth certificate.
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OBC Rights: Key to Symbols
Will not support or accept compromised legislation that restricts the rights of adult adoptees. The group only supports unrestricted rights.
Does not have a publicly stated position on whether it would support or accept compromised legislation that would discriminatorily restrict the rights of adult adoptees
Has agreed to or publicly supports compromised legislation that discriminatorily restricts the rights of adult adoptees
Refers to legislative advocacy work in the organization’s own state. Some organizations, even if they do not have a public position on compromise, have nevertheless expressed support for compromised legislation in other states.
Adding Your Group/Requesting Changes
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