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House Journal: Page 1337: Tuesday, April 7, 1998

40   shall order the opening of the permanent adoption
41   record of the juvenile court or court for the adopted
42   person who is an adult and reveal the names of either
43   or both of the biological parents following
44   consideration of both of the following:
45     (1)  A biological parent may file an affidavit
46   requesting that the juvenile court or court reveal or
47   not reveal the parent's identity.  The juvenile court
48   or court shall consider any such affidavit in
49   determining whether there is good cause to order
50   opening of the records.  To facilitate the biological

Page 8

 1   parents in filing an affidavit, the department shall,
 2   upon request of a biological parent, provide the
 3   biological parent with an adoption information packet
 4   containing an affidavit for completion and filing with
 5   the juvenile court or court.
 6     (2)  If the adopted person who applies for
 7   revelation of the biological parents' identity has a
 8   sibling who is a minor and who has been adopted by the
 9   same parents, the juvenile court or court may deny the
10   application on the grounds that revelation to the
11   applicant may also indirectly and harmfully permit the
12   same revelation to the applicant's minor sibling.
13     c.  A biological sibling of an adopted person may
14   file or may request that the department file an
15   affidavit in the juvenile court or court in which the
16   adopted person's adoption records have been sealed
17   requesting that the juvenile court or court reveal or
18   not reveal the sibling's name to the adopted person.
19   The juvenile court or court shall consider any such
20   affidavit in determining whether there is good cause
21   to order opening of the records upon application for
22   revelation by the adopted person.  However, the name
23   of the biological sibling shall not be revealed until
24   the biological sibling has attained majority.
25     Sec. ___.  Section 600.16A, subsection 3, paragraph
26   b, unnumbered paragraph 3, Code 1997, is amended to
27   read as follows:
28     Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection,
29   if the adult adopted person has a sibling who is a
30   minor and who has also been adopted by the same
31   parents, the department, the clerk of court, or the
32   agency which made the placement may deny the request
33   of either the adult adopted person or the biological
34   parent to open the adoption records and to reveal the
35   identities of the parties pending determination by the
36   juvenile court or court that there is good cause to
37   open the records pursuant to subsection 2.
38     Sec. ___.  Section 600.16A, subsection 4, Code
39   1997, is amended to read as follows:

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URL: /DOCS/GA/77GA/Session.2/HJournal/01300/01337.html
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