Adoptee Rights Law Center

Legal representation and advocacy for adult adopted people

Take Action: NO on HB597

First published on • Last updated on

Note: This action alert is complete and is no longer active. Rep. Stark amended the bill in the Florida House by striking out all the previous language. You can read more about the result in this post: “Reworked” Florida Bill Does Absolutely Nothing. Please do not contact legislators at this time about HB597.

HB597, a discriminatory bill in Florida that requires an adoptee to “connect with” a birth parent through the Florida adoption registry in order to request an original birth certificate, is set for a subcommittee hearing in the Florida House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. It is a terrible bill that will negatively impact the future of Florida adoptee rights, likely for decades.

I am asking advocates, allies, and supporters of adoptee rights to contact members of the subcommittee and request that they vote “NO” on HB597. You can read my analysis of HB597 here. Email addresses and names of the subcommittee members are below, which can be copied and pasted into your email program. Rep. Richard Stark’s email is not listed, as he is the sponsor of the bill and already obviously supports it. He is the only member of the committee that publicly supports this bill.

Suggested Messages

Modify these messages as you see fit, but include who you are and any background of your connection to adoption and adoptee rights (adoptee, birthparent, adoptive parent, etc.)
For Florida Residents
I am a ______________ and a Florida voter. I request that you vote NO on HB597, which is set for a hearing in the Health Quality Subcommittee on March 12, 2019. While I appreciate Rep. Richard Stark’s efforts on behalf of adult adoptees, HB597 is a bill that Florida adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents do not want. It will move our state backwards on this issue, mandate that adoptees—including those formerly in foster care— “connect with” birthparents to obtain the adoptees’ own government vital records, and require the use of the Florida adoption registry system, an inefficient and unnecessarily costly program for Florida taxpayers. Florida should follow the lead of its neighbor Alabama, which in 1999 restored a right that all adult adopted persons in Florida had until 1977: a right to obtain to their own original birth certificate upon request. Please vote NO when HB597 comes up for consideration in the subcommittee on Tuesday.

All Others
I am a ________________. I request that you vote NO on HB597, which is set for a hearing in the Health Quality Subcommittee on March 12, 2019. While I appreciate Rep. Richard Stark’s efforts on behalf of adult adoptees, HB597 is a bill that adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents do not want. It will move Florida backwards on this issue, mandate that adoptees—including those formerly in foster care— “connect with” birthparents to obtain the adoptees’ own government vital records, and require the use of the Florida adoption registry system, an inefficient and unnecessarily costly program for Florida taxpayers. Florida should follow the lead of its neighbor Alabama, which has restored a right that all adult adopted persons in Florida had until 1977: a right to obtain to their own original birth certificates upon request. Please vote NO when HB597 comes up for consideration in the subcommittee on Tuesday.

Subcommittee Member Emails

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Suggested Tweets

Vote NO on HB597 in committee. Mandated reunion with a birthparent is a disastrous idea. @ColleenLBurton ‏@kamiabrownfl45 @CordByrd‬ https://adopteerightslaw.com/vote-no-florida-hb597/

Vote NO on HB597 in committee. Mandated reunion with a birthparent is a disastrous idea. @traciedavisjax ‏@VoteRandyFine @scottplakon https://adopteerightslaw.com/vote-no-florida-hb597/

Vote NO on HB597 in committee. Mandated reunion with a birthparent is a disastrous idea. @CoachP_CHS @CarlosGSmith @voteforjennifer cc: @RichardNStark https://adopteerightslaw.com/vote-no-florida-hb597/

About Gregory D. Luce

I am a Minnesota lawyer, born and adopted in the District of Columbia, and the founder of Adoptee Rights Law Center PLLC. I've been practicing law in Minnesota state and federal courts since 1993, and have been the executive director of Adoptees United Inc. since 2021. I also have a sense of humor.

Get Involved with Adoptees United Inc.

Logo of Adoptees United Inc.Did you find this post interesting? Then get involved nationally with Adoptees United Inc., a national tax-exempt non-profit organization dedicated to securing equality for all adult adopted people in the US. Find out more here, and join me and others in working for equality.

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What’s an Original Birth Certificate?

Most adopted persons know what an original birth certificate (OBC) is. Many non-adopted people do not. An original birth certificate is the initial birth certificate created shortly after a person's birth. For most people, it is their only birth certificate.

For persons born and adopted in the United States, a new or "amended" birth certificate replaces the OBC once the adoption is final. In addition to replacing the original, the names of the birth parents are also replaced with the names of the adoptive parents. Some states may also alter or omit additional information on a new certificate, including the adoptee's specific place of birth.

Depending on state law, an original birth certificate is sealed and remains unavailable to the adopted person, even when they become an adult. If you are not adopted, your original birth certificate is your only birth certificate---and it is always available to you upon request.