SB 695

Under current law, a person 18 years of age or over whose birth parent's rights

have been terminated or who has been adopted in this state may file an affidavit with

the Department of Children and Families allowing DCF to release contact

information about that person to his or her birth parents if they request it. Under

current law, only a birth parent is allowed to request the information about his or her

birth child.

This bill allows an adult biological sibling or the parent, guardian, or legal

custodian of a biological sibling who is a minor child to request information about a

person whose birth parent's parental rights have been terminated in this state, or

about that person's adoptive parents, if that person is a minor child. Under the bill,

DCF is required to release the information about an adult biological sibling or the

adoptive parent of a minor biological sibling if the information is requested and if the

adult sibling or adoptive parent has filed an affidavit authorizing the release of the

information.

Under the bill, if there is no affidavit on file for a sibling or adoptive parent of

a sibling, DCF or an agency contracted with by DCF is required to search for any

biological siblings or adoptive parents of a biological sibling of the requester or the

requester's child. If a search is conducted and an adult biological sibling or adoptive

parent of a minor biological sibling of the requester or the requester's child is found,

DCF or the contracted agency is required to inform the biological sibling or adoptive

parent of the purpose of the search and to give him or her the opportunity to file an

affidavit allowing his or her information to be released to the requester.