FILED ON: 3/6/2012

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2163

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Twelve

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An Act further regulating the release of information concerning adoption.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Paragraph (b) of section 5D of chapter 210 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following 2 sentences:- If all biological parents of the adopted person are deceased, a sibling of the adopted person, including a half sibling or stepsibling, who is 18 years of age or older, may request in writing a release of the identity after adoption of the adopted person.  The placement agency shall release the identity after adoption of the adopted person to the sibling making the request provided that the agency has received written permission from the adopted person or written permission from the adoptive parents if the adoptive person is under the age of 21.