Gov. Pence Signs Birth Records Bill

Monday, March 7, 2016 at 6:28 AM

By Travis Thayer Gov. Mike Pence signs SEA 91 into law on March 4. Photo provided. (Indianapolis, Ind.) – Governor Mike Pence has signed a bill that will allow adult adoptees from Indiana to access vital birth and medical records. Senate Bill 91, a bill that opens all adoption records that were finalized prior to January 1, 1994, was signed by Gov. Pence on March 4. “SEA 91 expands opportunities for adopted Hoosiers seeking more information on their health and heritage even while ensuring that birthparents who choose to maintain their privacy are protected, and I am pleased to sign it into law,” said Governor Pence. The new law will allow adult adoptees born in Indiana between 1941 and 1994 to access their birth and medical records. Those records will be open beginning July 1, 2018 unless the birth parent files a contact preference form with the Indiana State Department of Health. RELATED STORIES: Birth Records Bill Passes Legislature; Governor Likely To Sign Ind. House Committee Advances Bill To Open Adoptees’ Birth Records Adopted Hoosiers One Step Closer To Accessing Vital Records