JEFFERSON CITY—The Missouri Senate today gave first-round approval to a pair of bills relating to adoption and foster care in Missouri.
First, the Senate voted to give initial passage to a bill that would allow adopted individuals 18 and older to obtain copies of their original birth certificates under certain circumstances, as well as other available information.
Senate Bill 594, sponsored by Sen. Rita Heard Days (D-St. Louis), would require the state to provide—upon a birth parent’s request—both a contact preference and medical history form that may be filled out by the birth parent. This information would be attached to the original birth certificate of the adoptee.
Adopted individuals, who must be at least 18 and born in Missouri, would then be able to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate, as well as any of the other additional information that may be available. The adoptee must agree to abide by the birth parent's contact preference, if a preference is included with the birth certificate.
Senate Bill 594 would apply to adoptions taking place after Aug. 28, 2010.
Also receiving initial approval during today’s session was SB 693, sponsored by Sen. Yvonne Wilson (D-Kansas City). The measure would establish a Foster Care and Adoptive Parents Recruitment and Retention Fund to promote foster care and adoption promotion recruitment programs in Missouri, as well as create a check-off on the Missouri individual and corporate income tax forms for contributions to the fund. The bill also would establish the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board to provide consultation and assistance to the Department of Social Services relating to foster care and adoption in the state.
Additionally, SB 693 would require the state to make reasonable efforts to place siblings in the same foster care, kinship, guardianship, or adoptive placement. If not possible, reasonable efforts must be made for the siblings to visit each other frequently.
Both measures need one more passing Senate vote before they can move to the House for similar consideration.
The Senate also began floor debate on SB 779, sponsored by Sen. Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit) today. The measure would expand the state’s DNA profiling system to include DNA samples of individuals arrested for robbery, among other provisions.
The Second Regular Session of the 95th Missouri General Assembly runs through May 14, 2010. For more information about the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or e-mail newsroom@senate.mo.gov.
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