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CWLA Endorses Mutual Reunion Registry
After considerable deliberation, CWLA has reached a decision to endorse
S. 1487, federal legislation to create a national reunion registry for
adopted adults, siblings, and birth parents introduced by Senator Carl
Levin (D-MI) and co-sponsored by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), Senator
John McCain (R-AZ), and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA).
This bill was most recently approved by the Senate in November 1997.
The House recently conducted a hearing on the bill, but has not yet
scheduled a vote. The legislation would establish a national voluntary
mutual reunion registry that would increase the opportunity for adopted
adults, birth parents, and siblings who want to find each other to do
so. The bill calls for HHS to establish a computerized national reunion
registry to facilitate the voluntary, mutually requested exchange of
identifying information that has been mutually consented to in a signed
notarized statement, by the birth parent, adult adoptee 21 years or
older or adult sibling. The registry only matches persons who seek to
be matched by filing their information with the national registry.
In testimony presented to the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human
Resources on June 11, 1998, Senator Carl Levin, the bill's sponsor,
summarized what the bill is intended and not intended to do: "There
are millions of people who are adopted in this country, and a significant
number of them are searching for their biological parent, usually the
mother. We have a significant number of the biological mothers who gave
up their child for adoption who are seeking to find those children...and
this bill only addresses people who are trying to find each other. Its
only purpose is to facilitate [the reunion of] people who are searching
for each other, sometimes desperately searching to find each other.
It does not seek anybody out who does not want to be found. It is a
passive registry based on two adults searching for each other, helping
to find each other. It does not open records; it specifically prohibits
that. It does not in any way preempt State registries or in any way
override or affect State registries. It explicitly says it does not
do that."
Senator Levin summarized the crux of the issue eloquently when he stated:
"The haunting question seems to me, the humane question is, why
would we NOT want to facilitate such reunions?"
Opposed by those who staunchly support prohibition of any contact between
birth parents and adopted adults as being the "foot in the door" to
open records, and equally opposed by those who advocate for open records
for all adopted individuals without further delay, this legislation
attempts to find a middle ground. It is a logical adjunct to the many
passive "mutual consent" registries that are currently in operation,
and is more conservative than those stats that operate active consent
registries. In these states an active search is conducted for other
triad members at the request of one party. However, a national voluntary
registry is still needed because so many individuals were born in one
state and adopted in another or simply don't know the state of their
birth.
Others have opposed the bill because of the lack of detail with regard
to implementation: the need to ensure adequate funding for operation
of the registry and for informing the public on an on-going basis about
its existence, whether counseling would be offered to parties before
releasing matches, the small number of matches that are accomplished
through existing state exchanges among others. While these are valid
concerns, operational details are rarely spelled out in legislation.
As Senator Levin explained, the legislation simply instructs HHS to
establish such a registry and provides that agency the authority and
flexibility to implement the legislation effectively, as is customary
with most legislation.
Interestingly, the three Senate co-sponsors of this bill are all adoptive
parents. Indeed, adoptive parents are increasingly to encouraging their
adult adopted children to search because they realize how essential
this knowledge is to their child's mental health. A poignant letter
from Michael E. Reagan, son of President Reagan, to Senator Levin and
included in his written testimony, brings home the importance of such
adoptive parent support. In part the letter says "I believe wholeheartedly
in your humane approach to facilitating the desires of adult adopted
persons, birth parents and separated siblings who seek to know one another.
As we discussed during our meeting at your home a few years ago, my
adoptive father, Ronald Reagan, supported my desire to meet my birth
mother and helped me in my early efforts. When my father helped me,
it was the greatest gift he ever gave to me."
Research confirms that the great majority of adoptive parents support
their adult children's efforts to know more about and meet members of
their birth families. Similarly, it confirms that birth parents and
adults adopted persons wish to be found by one another. [see article
on page 4 for additional information about the research on this issue.]
Action is now needed by the House of Representatives. While the Senate
has approved this bill in 1989, 1991, 1994 and in 1997, it has never
been voted on in the House.
To access a copy of S. 1487, An Act to Establish a National Voluntary
Mutual Reunion Registry, go to Thomas, Congress' Legislative
Information Site, at http://thomas.loc.gov. One in Thomas use
the "Quick Search Text of Bills 105th Congress" and search by bill number
(S.1487).
To obtain a copy of the testimony from the June 11, 1998 House Subcommittee
on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Adoption
Reunion Registries and Screening of Adults Working with Children, go
to http://www.house.gov/ways_means/humres/hr-13wit.htm and click on
the name of the witness whose testimony you would like to read.
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