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Sharon Pittenger, Newsletter Editor & Co-President, OARA, forwarded this legislative announcement from Jane Edwards, who has been working diligently against the passage of Oregon's Baby Abandonment Bill.
SB 199 is scheduled for public hearing at 8:00 am on Friday, May 25 at the State Capitol. Room 357 (Check the room number at the kiosk on the first floor to be sure.)
Please come to Salem and testify against the bill if you can. For directions to the Capitol, call Jane Edwards at 503-238-6383.
This bill dehumanizes birth mothers. We need to help pregnant women in crisis, not encourage them to abandon their babies. I am attaching a summary of the bill and a list of the problems.
The Willamette Week is publishing an interview with me on the bill in the Salem's Lot column. It will be in this Wednesday's edition.
It is very important that you contact your Representative, members of the committee, and Rep Kelly Wirth, the chief proponent of the bill in the House of Representatives. Tell them that you oppose the bill as written. Following are the members of the committee.
Judiciary Commitee members:
Write to committee members at the State Capitol Building, Salem, OR 97310
Max Williams, Chair, Room H-276, 503-986-1409
Wayne Krieger, Room H-378, 503-986-1448
Robert Ackerman, Room H-389 503-986-1439
Vic Backlund, Room H-284 503-986-1433
Kathy Lowe, Room H-371, 503-986-1426
Charlie Ringo, Room H-476 503-986-1406
Lane Shetterly, Room H-277, 503-986-1434
Cheryl Walker, Room H-472 503-986-1451
Vicki Walker, Room 472- 503-986-1451
Carl Wilson, Room H-498 503-986-1449
Kelly Wirth, H-479 503-986-1435E-mail addresses are on the legislative web site -- http://www.leg.state.or.us
Legislative Alert
One size does not fit all
Holt adoptees need your helpSearch and reunion is increasingly becoming a significant issue for adoptees, both domestic and international, and Holt is committed to assisting adoptees with this effort. Currently we are required to comply with the Oregon Law that requires adoptees to register with the Oregon Adoption Registry. The unintended consequence of this law is that international adoptees who do not live or have never lived in Oregon, but whose adoption records are with Holt, must apply with the Oregon Registry.
Because we were born abroad, our birth parents are obviously not going to be aware of, or registering with the Oregon Registry. Holt is working with Senator Susan Castillo who has introduced legislation (SB713) which will exempt international adoptees from the OR registry process.
Monday March 19, the Oregon Judiciary Committee will be hearing testimony on this bill. Holt has been telling OR legislators that this not only affects adoptees living in OR, but international adoptees who live throughout the US.
Please contact the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge their support of this critical adoption reform legislation. It will affect many of us directly!
Address correspondence to:
Judiciary CommitteeJohn Minnis, Chair
Judiciary Committee
Email Address: minnis.sen@state.or.us
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1711
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE S-311, Salem Or 97301Senator Peter Council, Vice Chair
Judiciary Committee
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1717
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE S-310, Salem Or 97301
Email Address: courtney.sen@state.or.usSenator Roger Beyer
Judiciary Committee
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1715
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE S-211, Salem Or 97301
Email Address: beyer.sen@state.or.usSenator Ginny Burdick
Judiciary Committee
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1706
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE S-317, Salem Or 97301
Email Address: burdick.sen@state.or.usSenator Verne Duncan
Judiciary Committee
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1712
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE S-219, Salem Or 97301
Email Address: duncan.sen@state.or.usSenator Steve Harper
Judiciary Committee
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1730
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE S-205, Salem Or 97301
Email Address: harper.sen@state.or.usSenator Rick Metsger
Judiciary Committee
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1714
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE S-301, Salem Or 97301
Email Address: metsger.sen@state.or.usSenator Susan Castillo
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1720
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE S-316, Salem Or 97301
Email Address: castillo.sen@state.or.usOr you can email me at susanc@holtinternational.org and I will send your comments directly to the Judiciary committee.
The Oregon Legislature is having the first public hearing on March 1 of a Child Abandonment Bill.....SB 199.
The following link will take you to the text of the bill. Click Here: Relating to the safe surrender of newborn child.
Letters can be written to the following:
Online form
Governor John Kitzhaber
http://www.governor.state.or.us/governor/mail/mailform.htmlTo E-mail Key players
Sponsors:
State Sen. Peter Courtney at courtney.sen@state.or.us
State Sen. Charles Starr at starr.sen@state.or.us
State Rep. Lauie Monnes Anderson at monnesanderson.rep@state.or.us
State Rep.Kathy Lowe at lowe.rep@state.or.us
State Rep. Bruce Starr at starr.rep@state.or.usJudiciary Committe Chairman:
State Sen. John Minnis at minnis.sen@state.or.us
Oregon: Measure 58, a ballot initiative which opens original birth certificates to Oregon adoptees age 21 years or older, passed on November 3rd, 1998 by a vote of the people. Finally took effect after a fruitless court challenge on June 2, 2000.
The following information can be found at the National Adoptees Information Clearinghouse at http://www.calib.com/naic/pubs/as_or.htm
OREGON
Obtaining Non-Identifying Information: Adopted adults age 18 or older, adoptive parents, and birth parents may obtain identifying information. Adoptees younger than 18 must have written consent from the adoptive parents.Obtaining Identifying Information: Identifying information is provided through an adoption registry.
Using a Confidential Intermediary: The following persons may use the confidential intermediary service: adopted adults or adoptive parents of a minor or deceased adopted adult, birth parents or birth siblings or the adult birth siblings of a deceased birth parent who has registered with the registry. Matches will be made through the registry.
Using the Adoption Registry: The following persons may use the adoption registry: adopted adults age 18 or over, birth parents, birth siblings age 18 or older, and, at the discretion of the agency, adoptive parents of a deceased adopted adult, birth grandparents, or siblings of a deceased birth parent.
Contact:
Oregon State Office for Services to Children and Families
Adoption Registry
500 Summer Street, NE
2nd Floor
Salem, OR 97310-1017
(503) 945-6643
http://www.scf.hr.state.or.us/adoptreg.htmObtaining an Original Birth Certificate: Recently enacted legislation allows an adopted adult to have access to the original birth certificate. In accordance with this recent legislation, a law has been passed allowing birth parents to file a form stating they do not wish to be contacted.
Information for adoptees re ordering birth certificates from the Oregon Vital Statistics.
OHD CDPE CHS: Pre-Adoption Birth Record FAQs
to Oregon State Information Page.
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were made by Natalie Rasmussen
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