Senate Bill 388
Access to an original impounded birth record. (FE)
Topics: Children: Adoption, Vital statistics
Stopped in committee
It had a but no committee vote, so it never came up for a vote. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Aug 11, 2025
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It sat with the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 390. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill expands access to original impounded birth records, allowing an adoptee whose original birth record has been impounded to receive an uncertified copy of that impounded record upon request once the adoptee is 18 years of age.
Under current law, the Department of Children and Families administers an adoption search program under which a person 18 years of age or over whose birth parent’s rights have been terminated in this state may request DCF to provide the person with any information that is available to DCF regarding the identity and location of the person’s birth parents. DCF may provide the identity and location of a birth parent only if DCF has on file an unrevoked affidavit from each known birth parent authorizing DCF to disclose that information. If DCF does not have on file an unrevoked affidavit from each known birth parent, DCF must search for each birth parent who has not filed an affidavit and, upon locating a birth parent, must give the birth parent an opportunity to file an affidavit. If a known birth parent cannot be located, DCF may disclose the identity and location of that birth parent if the other birth parent has filed an unrevoked affidavit. If one birth parent is known to be deceased and the other alive, DCF must provide the identity of the deceased parent, but may provide the original birth certificate and the identity and location of the living birth parent only if that birth parent has filed an unrevoked affidavit.
Read the full summary Show less
Generally, under current law, if the state registrar receives a court or administrative order providing for an adoption, the state registrar must prepare a new birth record for the subject of the adoption unless the adoptive parents or the adoptee requests that no new record be prepared. The new record must show certain information including the names and personal information of the adoptive parents and must show the hospital and time of birth as unknown. The state registrar must impound the original birth record and all related materials and may generally not provide access to them, except when authorized by the birth parent in an affidavit prepared using the procedure under current law that is described above.
The bill eliminates language allowing for access to an adoptee’s original impounded birth record only when access has been granted by the birth parent in an affidavit. The bill instead requires the state registrar to provide any person over the age of 18 whose original birth record has been impounded with unrestricted access to the person’s original unaltered birth record and issue that person an uncertified copy of the original unaltered birth record. The bill also requires that the state registrar, when issuing an uncertified copy of an original impounded birth record, to inform the recipient about current law provisions regarding access to certain information about a person’s birth parents. The bill does not change certain restrictions applicable to vital record access in the circumstance of adoptions involving an Indian child.
Who's behind it
André Jacque, a Republican, is its .
9 more lawmakers .
See all 10 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (9)
- Russell Goodwin · Democrat, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Oct 7, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Sep 16, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Sep 4, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Sep 3, 2025 to Sep 4, 2025
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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Aug 11, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
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Aug 11, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Aug 11, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Jacque; cosponsored by Representatives Tittl, Murphy, Goodwin, Knodl, Mursau, O'Connor and Wichgers
- Aug 11, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families
- Sep 3, 2025 · Senate
Representative Miresse added as a cosponsor
- Sep 4, 2025 · Senate
Representative Maxey added as a cosponsor
- Sep 4, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Sep 16, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Oct 7, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate