S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7840
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the public health law, in relation to the release of
   identifying information of consenting registrants  from  the  adoption
   registry
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 4138-c of the public  health  law,
 as  amended  by  chapter  181 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
 follows:
   6. Upon receipt of a final consent OR IF  GIVEN  PRE-AUTHORIZATION  ON
 THE  APPROPRIATE  FORM  by  the adoptee, by either of the birth parents,
 and/or by a biological sibling of the  adoptee,  the  department  shall,
 unless  the  adoptee or biological sibling registrant shall elect other-
 wise, if an authorized agency was involved  in  such  adoption,  release
 identifying  information  to  such  agency; such agency shall thereafter
 promptly release identifying information  about  the  consenting  regis-
 trants  to  the  consenting  registrants.  If  no  authorized agency was
 involved, or if any registrant shall have elected not to have release of
 the information by the authorized agency involved in such  adoption  the
 department  shall  release  identifying  information  to  the consenting
 registrants. Such identifying information shall be limited to the  names
 and  addresses  of  the consenting registrants and shall not include any
 other information contained in the adoption or birth  records.  However,
 nothing  in  this  section  shall be construed to prevent the release of
 adoption records as otherwise permitted by law.
   § 2. Section 206 of the public health law is amended by adding  a  new
 subdivision 33 to read as follows:
   33.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE
 CREATION OF A PRE-AUTHORIZATION FORM TO BE USED BY AN ADOPTEE, EITHER OF
 THE BIRTH PARENTS, AND/OR A BIOLOGICAL SIBLING TO CONSENT TO THE RELEASE

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11033-01-5
              

 A. 7840                             2
 
 OF THE CONSENTING REGISTRANTS' IDENTIFYING INFORMATION TO THE CONSENTING
 REGISTRANTS.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
 on or before such effective date.