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LRB-4552/1
EHS:emw
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
September 22, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Steffen, Horlacher,
Mursau, Rozar, Cabrera and Sinicki, cosponsored by Senators Cowles,
Felzkowski, Wanggaard, L. Taylor and Jacque. Referred to Committee on
Children and Families.
AB577,1,4 1An Act to amend 48.433 (4), 48.433 (5) (intro.), 48.433 (6) (a), 48.433 (7) (a)
2(intro.), 48.433 (8) (a) and 48.433 (8) (b); and to create 48.433 (8g) of the
3statutes; relating to: access to a deceased adoptee's original birth certificate
4and information about birth parents by an adult child of the adoptee.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides an avenue for the adult offspring of a person whose birth
parents' parental rights have been terminated to access the offspring's parent's
original birth certificate and information about the birth parents.
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 his or her original birth certificate and any information that is available
to DCF regarding the identity and location of the person's birth parents. With certain
exceptions, DCF may disclose the requested information only if DCF has on file an
unrevoked affidavit from each known birth parent authorizing DCF to disclose that
information. However, if a birth parent who has not filed an affidavit is known to be
deceased, DCF must inform the requester that the birth parent is deceased, provide
the requester with the identity of the deceased birth parent, and, if both birth parents
are deceased, provide the requester with his or her original birth certificate.
Under the bill, the adult child of a person whose birth parents' parental rights
have been terminated in this state (offspring) may request DCF to provide the
offspring with the original birth certificate of the offspring's parent and any

information that is available to DCF regarding the identity of the birth parents of the
offspring's parent. If the offspring's parent and both birth parents of the offspring's
parent are deceased, regardless of whether either birth parent has filed an affidavit,
DCF must disclose the requested information. If any of those individuals are still
living, DCF may not disclose the requested information.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB577,1 1Section 1. 48.433 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB577,2,42 48.433 (4) Before acting on the a request under sub. (3), the department, or
3agency contracted with under sub. (11), shall require the requester to provide
4adequate identification.
AB577,2 5Section 2. 48.433 (5) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB577,2,86 48.433 (5) (intro.) The department, or agency contracted with under sub. (11),
7shall disclose the requested information under sub. (3) in either of the following
8circumstances:
AB577,3 9Section 3. 48.433 (6) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB577,2,1610 48.433 (6) (a) If the department, or agency contracted with under sub. (11), does
11not have on file an affidavit from each known birth parent, it shall, within 3 months
12after the date of the original request under sub. (3), undertake a diligent search for
13each birth parent who has not filed an affidavit. The search shall be completed
14within 6 months after the date of the request, unless the search falls within one of
15the exceptions established by the department by rule. If any information has been
16provided under sub. (5), the department or agency is not required to conduct a search.
AB577,4 17Section 4. 48.433 (7) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB577,3,3
148.433 (7) (a) (intro.) The department or agency conducting the search under
2sub. (6)
shall, upon locating a birth parent, make at least one verbal contact and
3notify him or her of the following:
AB577,5 4Section 5. 48.433 (8) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB577,3,135 48.433 (8) (a) If a birth parent of a requester under sub. (3) is known to be
6deceased, the department, or agency contracted with under sub. (11), shall so inform
7the requester. The department or agency shall provide the requester with the
8identity of the deceased parent. If both birth parents are known to be deceased, the
9department or agency shall provide the requester with his or her original birth
10certificate. If only one birth parent is known to be deceased, the department or
11agency shall provide the requester with his or her original birth certificate and any
12available information it has on file regarding the identity and location of the other
13birth parent if the other birth parent has filed an unrevoked affidavit under sub. (2).
AB577,6 14Section 6. 48.433 (8) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB577,3,1915 48.433 (8) (b) If a birth parent of a requester under sub. (3) is known to be dead,
16the department, or agency contracted with under sub. (11), in addition to the
17information provided under par. (a), shall provide the requester with any
18nonidentifying social history information about the deceased parent on file with the
19department or agency.
AB577,7 20Section 7. 48.433 (8g) of the statutes is created to read:
AB577,3,2421 48.433 (8g) (a) In this subsection, “offspring” means an adult who is the child
22of a person whose birth parents' parental rights have been terminated in this state
23or who has been adopted in this state with the consent of his or her birth parent or
24parents before February 1, 1982.
AB577,4,2
1(b) Subject to par. (c), an offspring may request the department, or agency
2contracted with under sub. (11), to provide the offspring with the following:
AB577,4,33 1. The original birth certificate of the offspring's parent.
AB577,4,54 2. Any available information regarding the identity of the birth parents of the
5offspring's parent.
AB577,4,96 (c) Before acting on a request under par. (b), the department, or agency
7contracted with under sub. (11), shall require the requester to provide adequate
8identification of himself or herself and documentation of his or her relationship to the
9deceased parent.
AB577,4,1210 (d) The department, or agency contracted with under sub. (11), shall disclose
11the information requested under par. (b) if the offspring's parent and both birth
12parents of the offspring's parent are deceased.
AB577,4,1313 (End)
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