California Adoptee Rights

An Adoptees United resource for information about California legislation

SB1274

SB1274 Is Dead

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The following information went out this morning to supporters of SB1274 who signed up for legislative updates.

This morning I confirmed with Sen. Eggman’s staff that SB1274, the equal rights birth record bill in the Senate, has been pulled from further consideration this session. This means that the bill is no longer considered active, and it will not move forward. Legislative action to secure equal rights for all California-born adult adopted people is effectively over for 2024.

Members of the two committees scheduled to hear the bill continued to raise issues with “birthparent privacy” in relation to the release of an adopted person’s own birth record. Sen. Eggman realized that there was no viable way to move the bill forward without damaging amendments. It’s a solid and necessary decision that her office made, but the outcome is obviously disappointing.

More information may available as we all learn more.

Committee Hearing: April 10

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A hearing on SB1274 has been set for Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in the Senate Health Committee. It is scheduled to begin at 1:30pm. Here is the basic info, with more to come as the hearing date nears.

What to Know: the Very Basics

This is the first hearing on the bill, and it will be heard in the Health Committee. In general, the committee covers issues relating to public health, including vital records.

The focus of SB1274 in the Committee will be on the bill’s direct connection to vital records, which is overseen by the California Department of Public Health. While arguments will no doubt come up about “privacy” and the California state constitution, those arguments are generally outside the scope of this committee.

What to Do: Register Your Position

You can register your position through the California Position Letter Portal here. You can also email the committee at SHEA.Committee@senate.ca.gov, though the position portal is generally the better choice to register support for the bill. If you don’t know how to sign up or submit a letter through the portal, we have a short video.

What to Say: Keep it Short and to the Point

When submitting a position letter, keep the message short and direct. Introduce yourself, state your connection to adoption, and request a DO PASS recommendation from the committee. Feel free to add a few more details about yourself or this issue, but generally try to keep it to around a half-page of type. And, importantly, make it about a single document: an adopted person’s own birth record. Here is an example of a fictional adopted person writing in support:

My name is Kai Sheppard, and I was born and adopted in California in 1970. As a California adoptee I request at DO PASS recommendation on SB1274. This bill would do one simple thing: restore the rights of all California-born adopted people to get a single document that has always been theirs: their own original birth records—nothing more, nothing less. This bill is important to me and to my family. Please support SB1274 with a DO PASS recommendation.

Who’s On the Committee

Members of the committee include nine Democrats and two Republicans:

Steven M. Glazer (D-Contra Costa)
Lena A. Gonzalez (D-Long Beach)
Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield)
Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield)
Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara)
Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley)
Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach), Vice-Chair 
Richard Roth (D-Riverside), Chair
Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park)
Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles)
Senator Scott D. Wiener (D-San Francisco)

About the Bill (SB1274)

SB1274 is an incredibly simple bill with a powerful promise. The bill strikes out discriminatory provisions in current California law and simply adds:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Registrar shall provide to an adopted person who is 18 years of age or older and who was born in this state, or to a direct line descendant of a deceased adopted person, a copy of the adopted person’s original birth certificate and any evidence of the adoption previously filed with the State Registrar.

Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman is the bill’s lead author.

Committee Assignments: Health and Judiciary

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Senate Bill 1274 has been assigned to its senate committees: Health and Judiciary. Here’s quick information and resources about both.

Senate Health Committee

While the bills sponsor, Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman, was the former chair of the Senate Health Committee, the committee is now chaired by Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riverside). The referral of the bill to this committee was expected. The committee considers bills “relating to public health, alcohol and drug abuse, mental health, public and private health insurance and managed care, food safety, health facility licensing, prescription drugs, emergency medical services, and related institutions.” Members of the committee in 2024 include 9 Democrats and 2 Republicans:

Steven M. Glazer (D-Contra Costa)
Lena A. Gonzalez (D-Long Beach)
Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield)
Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield)
Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara)
Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley)
Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach), Vice-Chair 
Richard Roth (D-Riverside), Chair
Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park)
Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles)
Senator Scott D. Wiener (D-San Francisco)

The focus of SB1274 in the Health Committee will be on the bill’s direct connection to vital records, which is overseen by the California Department of Public Health. While arguments will no doubt come up about “privacy” and the California state constitution, those arguments are generally outside the scope of this committee. Instead, they are more likely to be considered in depth in the Judiciary Committee.

Senate Judiciary Committee

The Senate Judiciary Committee is chaired by Senator Thomas Umberg (D), The jurisdiction of this committee is in part the state’s family and probate codes, as well as bills relating to courts, judges, and privacy. Members of the committee include 9 Democrats and 2 Republicans:

Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica)
Angelique V. Ashby (D-Sacramento)
Anna M. Caballero (D-Merced)
María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles)
John Laird (D-Santa Cruz)
Dave Min (D-Irvine)
Roger W. Niello (R-Fair Oaks), Vice-Chair
Henry I. Stern (D-Los Angeles)
Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana), Chair
Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward)
Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita)

The focus of the committee for SB1274 will likely be on its relationship to the family code and to state courts, as well as expected arguments that the bill involves issues of birthparent privacy.

Hearings

Hearings for both committees are in person, though written testimony can be provided through various means, most often through the California Position Letter Portal but also by email directly to the committee. The Health committee generally meets on Wednesday afternoons.

The committees’ guidance for submitting testimony or participating in a specific committee hearing is here:

Resource: Position Letter Portal

We’ve created a video resource to help understand how to sign up and use the California Position Letter Portal. More about that is here (or click on the image below).

California Position Letter Portal Resource

It’s Showtime!

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A long-awaited unrestricted equal rights bill for adult adoptees has been introduced in the California Senate.

Long anticipated but finally introduced in the California Senate yesterday, SB1274 is an incredibly simple bill with a powerful promise. The bill strikes out discriminatory provisions in current California law and simply adds:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Registrar shall provide to an adopted person who is 18 years of age or older and who was born in this state, or to a direct line descendant of a deceased adopted person, a copy of the adopted person’s original birth certificate and any evidence of the adoption previously filed with the State Registrar.

Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman is the primary sponsor, and the bill is awaiting committee referral, though it is expected to be referred to the Senate Health Committee. We’ll have more details as things develop, including committee assignment and things you can do to help.

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