2013 Indiana House Bill 1029 Adoption Information - Legislation Part 4

Freshman representative Sharon Negele has introduced a bill to allow relatives of an adoptee and the pre-adoptive siblings to petition for access to an adoptee's non-identifying medical information.

House Bill 1029 affects the following citations : IC 31-9-2-64; IC 31-19-24. The synopsis is as follows:
Adoption history information. Adds a relative of an adoptee and a pre-adoptive sibling to the list of interested persons who may obtain medical history information and file a petition with an appropriate court to request the release of medical information, nonidentifying information, or identifying information. Requires that a petition requesting release of medical, nonidentifying, or identifying information must include the reasons why the release of information may be beneficial to an interested person. (Current law requires that the petition must include reasons why the release of information may be beneficial to the adoptee or birth parent.) Requires the court to appoint a confidential intermediary if certain requirements are met and the petitioner has shown an emergency medical need or good cause relating to the welfare of an interested person. (Current law requires the court to appoint a confidential intermediary if certain requirements are met and the petitioner has shown an emergency medical need or good cause relating to the welfare of an adoptee or birth parent.)

This bill does not provide any significant changes to the adoption statutory scheme but does increase the category of interested people who could benefit from the medical information maintained about the adoptee and eases the burden of demonstrating a need for the information. As the medical community gains more knowledge about the genetic make-up of the human body and its relationship to ailments access to family history because more important for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions. Providing greater access between persons of blood relations can only be beneficial. Representative Negele should be supported along with this bill.

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More information about child custody rights and procedures may be found on the Indiana Custodial Rights Advocates website.

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