A bill negatively affecting adoption laws in Hawaii just came to my attention. It is late. The Senate has already passed it unanimously because they only had supportive testimonies from the Adoption Circle of Hawaii (a small group fighting for liberal adoption laws) who are sponsoring the bill.
House Bill 1407 would REQUIRE that all adoption records from years ago be open and that no birthparent has the right to keep their name and adoption record confidential. At this time, if a request for birthparents' names is made to the Family Court, the law does allow for a court approved agent to look for the birthparent and ask them if they want to have their names given out. If they don't, they can sign an affidavit requesting confidentiality. If they want to be connected with the other parties, their name is given out. With House Bill 1407, birthparents would have NO CHOICE to have confidentiality.
HB 1407 would ALSO REQUIRE that the birthparents' names be included next to the adoptive parents' names on the finalized official adoption birth certificate of the adopted child. This means that birthmothers cannot have confidentiality and privacy regarding their placement. Those who want privacy may be forced to revert to abortion as a desperate measure or abandon their babies.
It may be acceptable IF the birthparents WANT their names on the birth certificate and give their written approval, but to mandate them to put it on takes away their right to privacy. There will definitely be an increase in abortions!!
Please help stop this bill by doing the following:
1. Write a brief personalized testimony against the bill, and submit it online by Tuesday, March 1, 2011 (TOMORROW) by 2pm. Go to the link below and type in BH1407 and then fill in the blanks with your information and comments. Go in as an INDIVIDUAL and OPPOSE this bill. (sample ideas listed below).
http://capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/
AND PLEASE
2. Attend the Public Hearing at the State Capitol in Room 325 on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 2 p.m. Show up early. If you have adopted children, you may wish to bring them to better illustrate what is at risk if this bill passes. Hearings can go long so bring snacks/books to keep kids entertained.
We need 100+ people present at the hearing on Wednesday to oppose HB1407.
Here are some sample testimonies for your reference:
Sample 1:
I strongly oppose HB 1407. It completely removes confidentiality and privacy for birthparents. Birthparents should be given the right to keep their records closed if they choose to. Their names should not be on the birth certificate of the child they have placed for adoption...
Sample 2:
I oppose HB 1407. I am an adoptive parent of two children who are mine in every way. My wife and I love their birthparents very much. We would not want the birthparents to have to have their names on our children's birth certificates if they do now want it there. It should be a choice for them. They should be able to give written permission to have their names put on the birth certificate...
Sample 3:
I oppose HB 1407. My ....(daughter, sister, myself, etc.) is a birthparent who placed a child. ...... (Her, my, etc) Her adoption was very confidential. It would be a crime of privacy to mandate that birthparents' names be on the birth certificate without their permission. Please do not pass this law.
Sample 4: Letter written by Daniel Skaf for your reference:
Greetings Members of the Judiciary Committee,
I write in opposition to HB 1407. I adopted my daughter, Julianna, when she was just a few days old. Her original birth certificate is kept confidential in the state where she was born. My name is listed as Father on her current birth certificate. This is the way it should be.
I have several reasons for feeling this way.
First of all, many young girls seek to have their babies adopted for one reason - so they can make a good decision out of a bad decision and START OVER. How is a young girl to feel she can start her life on a new track, go to college, marry a good man, and start a new family if all the while her name is publicly connected to a baby she gave to another family? Most girls appreciate their right to privacy and anonymity. And consequently most girls would shy away from the adoption option if they had their right to privacy taken away. I firmly believe that this would lead to more abandoned babies and more abortions.
Also, many single adults and married couples rely on sperm banks or egg donors in order to have a baby. Will the sperm or egg donor be listed on the birth certificate, too? I believe we will see a dramatic reduction in sperm and egg donations if the donors' right to privacy is taken away.
As it is, adopted children can access their original birth certificate when they turn 18. This allows for them to be relatively prepared with some level of maturity and life experience before and if they choose seek out their birth parents. Some adoptive parents choose to tell their child about their adoption and their birth parents at a much earlier age. This decision is made by loving parents, based on the emotional needs and maturity of the child. The whole story of the adoption is shared in a sensitive, private, individualized manner. The parents of the child know best how, when and if this should be done and certainly NOT the government. Children are unique individuals not items on a mass-production line. Their adoption history should be a personal, private matter for them to disclose if they choose when they are ready. HB 1407 denies them that right.
My last reason for opposing HB1407 is rather personal.
I am deeply, emotionally, spiritual, and mentally dedicated and connected to my precious daughter, Julianna. I AM HER FATHER. I do not consent to sharing my title with anyone. She is my daughter and no one else has claim on her. I feed her, bathe her, dress her, protect her, teach her, defend her, plan for her future, and have loved her with all my heart and soul, every single day, every hour, every minute from the day she entered my life. While I appreciate the young boy who had a brief role in her creation, under no circumstances should he be considered her father. He has no right to be publicly listed as her father. I AM HER FATHER.
Please vote to defer this bill.
Sincerely,
Daniel Skaf
Waialua, HI
phone number
Please bring your friends and family to the hearing on Wednesday. Come early. Send in your written testimony first. You can also testify verbally. Your presence is important to stop this law from passing.
Mahalo for your support!
Sally Lee, LDS Family Services
Stacey Cannon, Families Supporting Adoption
Daniel Skaf
