SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 830
91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATORS HOUSE, RUSSELL, CHILDERS, YECKEL, BLAND, BENTLEY,
STAPLES, SCHNEIDER, FOSTER AND DePASCO.
Pre-filed December 14, 2001, and 1,000 copies ordered printed.
TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.
2468S.02I
AN ACT
To repeal sections 193.125 and 193.255, RSMo, relating to adoption records, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to the same subject.
Section A. Sections 193.125 and 193.255, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 193.125 and 193.255, to read as follows:
193.125. 1. For each adoption decreed by a court of competent jurisdiction in this state, the court shall require the preparation of a certificate of decree of adoption on a form as prescribed and furnished by the state registrar. The certificate of decree of adoption shall include such facts as are necessary to locate and identify the certificate of birth of the person adopted, and shall provide information necessary to establish a new certificate of birth of the person adopted and shall identify the court and county of the adoption and be certified by the clerk of the court. The state registrar shall file the original certificate of birth with the certificate of decree of adoption and such file may be opened by the state registrar only upon receipt of a certified copy of an order as decreed by the court of adoption or pursuant to subsection 2 of this section.
2. Upon receipt of a written application to the state registrar, any adopted person fifty years of age or older born in the state of Missouri shall be issued a certified copy of his or her unaltered, original and unamended certificate of birth in the custody of the state registrar, with procedures, filing fees and waiting periods identical to those imposed upon nonadopted citizens of the state of Missouri. If the state registrar has no records on the adopted person, the state registrar shall certify such information to the requesting person within thirty days. Within sixty days following a written request of the adopted person accompanied by a copy of the certification from the state registrar, any circuit court in possession of such records shall provide copies of the records to the adopted person. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as violating the provisions of section 453.121, RSMo.
[2.] 3. Information necessary to prepare the report of adoption shall be furnished by each petitioner for adoption or the petitioner's attorney. The social welfare agency or any person having knowledge of the facts shall supply the court with such additional information as may be necessary to complete the report. The provision of such information shall be prerequisite to the issuance of a final decree in the matter by the court.
[3.] 4. Whenever an adoption decree is amended or annulled, the clerk of the court shall prepare a report thereof, which shall include such facts as are necessary to identify the original adoption report and the facts amended in the adoption decree as shall be necessary to properly amend the birth record.
[4.] 5. Not later than the fifteenth day of each calendar month or more frequently as directed by the state registrar the clerk of the court shall forward to the state registrar reports of decrees of adoption, annulment of adoption and amendments of decrees of adoption which were entered in the preceding month, together with such related reports as the state registrar shall require.
[5.] 6. When the state registrar shall receive a report of adoption, annulment of adoption, or amendment of a decree of adoption for a person born outside this state, he or she shall forward such report to the state registrar in the state of birth.
[6.] 7. In a case of adoption in this state of a person not born in any state, territory or possession of the United States or country not covered by interchange agreements, the state registrar shall upon receipt of the certificate of decree of adoption prepare a birth certificate in the name of the adopted person, as decreed by the court or written application to the state registrar by adoptees fifty years of age or older as provided in subsection 2 of this section. The state registrar shall file the certificate of the decree of adoption, and such documents may be opened by the state registrar only by an order of court. The birth certificate prepared [under] pursuant to this subsection shall have the same legal weight as evidence as a delayed or altered birth certificate as provided in section 193.235.
[7.] 8. The department, upon receipt of proof that a person has been adopted by a Missouri resident pursuant to laws of countries other than the United States, shall prepare a birth certificate in the name of the adopted person as decreed by the court of such country. If such proof contains the surname of either adoptive parent, the department of health and senior services shall prepare a birth certificate as requested by the adoptive parents. Any subsequent change of the name of the adopted person shall be made by a court of competent jurisdiction. The proof of adoption required by the department shall include a copy of the original birth certificate and adoption decree, an English translation of such birth certificate and adoption decree, and a copy of the approval of the immigration of the adopted person by the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the United States government which shows the child lawfully entered the United States. The authenticity of the translation of the birth certificate and adoption decree required by this subsection shall be sworn to by the translator in a notarized document. The state registrar shall file such documents received by the department relating to such adoption and such documents may be opened by the state registrar only by an order of a court or written application to the state registrar by adoptees fifty years of age or older as provided in subsection 2 of this section. A birth certificate pursuant to this subsection shall be issued upon request of one of the adoptive parents of such adopted person or upon request of the adopted person if of legal age. The birth certificate prepared pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall have the same legal weight as evidence as a delayed or altered birth certificate as provided in sections 193.005 to 193.325.
[8.] 9. If no certificate of birth is on file for the person under twelve years of age who has been adopted, a belated certificate of birth shall be filed with the state registrar as provided in sections 193.005 to 193.325 before a new birth record is to be established as result of adoption. A new certificate is to be established on the basis of the adoption [under] pursuant to this section and shall be prepared on a standard certificate of live birth form.
[9.] 10. If no certificate of birth has been filed for a person twelve years of age or older who has been adopted, a new birth certificate is to be established [under] pursuant to this section upon receipt of proof of adoption as required by the department. A new certificate shall be prepared in the name of the adopted person as decreed by the court, registering adopted parents' names. The new certificate shall be prepared on a delayed birth certificate form. The adoption decree is placed in a sealed file and shall not be subject to inspection except upon an order of the court.
193.255. 1. The state registrar and other custodians of vital records authorized by the state registrar to issue certified copies of vital records upon receipt of application shall issue a certified copy of any vital record in [his] the registrar's custody or a part thereof to any applicant having a direct and tangible interest in the vital record, including an adopted person fifty years of age or older as provided for in section 193.125. Each copy issued shall show the date of registration, and copies issued from records marked "Delayed" or "Amended" shall be similarly marked and show the effective date. The documentary evidence used to establish a delayed certificate shall be shown on all copies issued. All forms and procedures used in the issuance of certified copies of vital records in the state shall be provided or approved by the state registrar.
2. A certified copy of a vital record or any part thereof, issued in accordance with subsection 1 of this section, shall be considered for all purposes the same as the original and shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein, provided that the evidentiary value of a certificate or record filed more than one year after the event, or a record which has been amended, shall be determined by the judicial or administrative body or official before whom the certificate is offered as evidence.
3. The federal agency responsible for national vital statistics may be furnished such copies or data from the system of vital statistics as it may require for national statistics, provided such federal agency share in the cost of collecting, processing, and transmitting such data, and provided further that such data shall not be used for other than statistical purposes by the federal agency unless so authorized by the state registrar.
4. Federal, state, local and other public or private agencies may, upon request, be furnished copies or data of any other vital statistics not obtainable [under] pursuant to subsection 1 of this section for statistical or administrative purposes upon such terms or conditions as may be prescribed by regulation, provided that such copies or data shall not be used for purposes other than those for which they were requested unless so authorized by the state registrar.
5. The state registrar may, by agreement, transmit copies of records and other reports required by sections 193.005 to 193.325 to offices of vital statistics outside this state when such records or other reports relate to residents of those jurisdictions or persons born in those jurisdictions. This agreement shall require that the copies be used for statistical and administrative purposes only, and the agreement shall further provide for the retention and disposition of such copies. Copies received by the department from offices of vital statistics in other states shall be handled in the same manner as prescribed in this section.
6. No person shall prepare or issue any certificate which purports to be an original, certified copy, or copy of a vital record except as authorized herein or by regulations adopted hereunder.