ASSEMBLY COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 799

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH 4, 1996

      The Assembly Community Services Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 799 with committee amendments.

      As amended by committee, this bill establishes a mutual consent voluntary adoption registry in the Department of Health. The department shall maintain a registry with the last known names and addresses of an adult adoptee and the birth parents and any other identifying information which the adult adoptee or birth parents desire to include in the registry. The registry shall be open with respect to all adoptions in the State, regardless of when they took place.

      The registry shall be available for those persons choosing to enter information, but no one shall be required to do so. The department may release identifying information only when it receives requests from both the adult adoptee and a birth parent and a match is made.

      The department shall make counseling available for a fee for all persons seeking to use the registry and shall inform all affected persons of the availability of the counseling.

      All costs for establishing and maintaining the registry shall be obtained through user's fees charged to all persons who register.

      The amendments change the department responsible for the establishment and implementation of the registry from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Health.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 1996-97 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review which has been performed.