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Vitale Statement On Final Legislative Approval Of Adoptee Birth Info Bill

Joseph Vitale News & Releases

Measure Would Grant Adoptees Access to Birth Certificates, Family Medical Histories

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the vice chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, and the prime sponsor of legislation to allow adoptees in New Jersey to access medical history and birth records, issued the following statement after the Assembly approved the bill by a vote of 44-26, with 2 abstentions, receiving final legislative approval:

“At long last, adoptees in New Jersey are only one signature away from getting greater access to their original birth certificates and vital medical information. The road to legislative approval for this bill has been a long time coming, but the benefits of this legislation are worth the wait.

“So many adoptees know the value of what many of us who were raised by our biological parents take for granted – a family history. Knowledge of who your parents were, who your grandparents were – this is fundamental to some of the most basic questions of identity that we can have. And with the Governor’s signature, adoptees in the Garden State will finally have a right to know.

“I understand just how difficult this legislation is for people on either side of the issue. However, I firmly believe that this bill creates a fair compromise between adoptees’ right to know, and birth parents’ desire to retain their anonymity. If birth parents do not want to be contacted, they can opt out by providing medical information which most adoptees who have not found their birth family do not have access to. This information in turn would help adoptees make the best healthcare choices possible for themselves and their own families.

“I want to thank my fellow Senate sponsors – Senators Diane Allen and Loretta Weinberg, and Assembly sponsors – Assembly members Vincent Prieto, Joan M. Voss, L. Grace Spencer and Charles Mainor – all of whom have pushed so hard to advance this legislation through the Senate and General Assembly.

“I’m proud that we’ve finally been able to advance this legislation to final legislative passage, and I hope the Governor signs the bill into law quickly. Adoptees have waited for so long for this day, and it’s time to remove the veil of secrecy regarding birth records for people who simply want to know who they are and where they came from.”

The bill now heads to the Governor to be signed into law. It was approved by the Senate by a vote of 27-10 in March of last year.

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15 Dec 2015
Weinberg Statement On Final Legislative Approval Of Adoptee Birth Info Bill

TRENTON – Senator Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, the chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, and a sponsor along with Senator Joseph F. Vitale of legislation to allow adoptees in New Jersey to access medical history and birth records, issued the following statement after the Assembly approved the bill by a vote of 44-26, with 2 abstentions, receiving final legislative approval:

“Under current law, adoptees in New Jersey are unable to access information that President Barack Obama and Donald Trump have had no problem accessing – their own long-form birth certificates. That to me seems fundamentally wrong and fundamentally unfair, and I’m happy to say that today, we’re one step closer to clearing up this imbalance in the current law.

09 May 2011
Assembly Committee Advances Vitale-Weinberg Bill To Give Adoptees Access To Birth Info

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Joseph Vitale and Loretta Weinberg which would allow adoptees in New Jersey to access medical history and birth records was approved by the Assembly Human Services Committee today by a vote of 6-0, with four abstentions.

“For most of us, having answers to the questions of identity and heritage is a source of comfort and cultural pride,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and vice chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “However, for adopted New Jerseyans, many will never get answers to the key questions of who they are and where they come from under the current records access regulations. Through this bill, we will allow adopted adults to decide for themselves if they want to know their history and heritage, and if both parties agree, we will be able to reunite adoptees with their birth parents.”

14 Jun 2010
Sarlo Bill To Increase Penalties For Counterfeits That Endanger Public Health Advances In Committee

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Paul A. Sarlo which would impose increased penalties for counterfeiting if the offense poses a risk to the health or safety of the general public was unanimously approved today by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“Before a drug or cosmetic product is ever introduced to the market, it goes through months, if not years, of drug trials, safety testing and various other review to make sure that the dangers and side-effects don’t outweigh the benefits,” said Senator Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic, and Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. “As a result of this rigorous review, these products have earned a measure of public trust regarding their safety. However, as a result of that well-earned safe reputation, many of these products become targets to unscrupulous counterfeiters looking to short-cut the approval process for a quick buck, and when they risk public safety, they have to be held accountable.”

26 Jan 2009
Vitale-Weinberg Bill To Give Adoptees Access To Birth Info Approved In Senate

TRENTON – A Senate Committee substitute for bills sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Loretta Weinberg, which would give adoptees in New Jersey access to medical history and birth records, was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 27-10.

“Many adopted New Jerseyans have been struggling for years with key questions about identity,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “They want to know some of the most basic information that many of us take for granted — answers to the questions of who we are, and where we came from. Rather than deny adopted people access to vital identifying information, we should be doing whatever we can to foster access and, if it’s mutually agreed upon by both parties, reunite adoptees with their birth parents.”

22 Mar 2010
Vitale-Weinberg Bill To Give Adoptees Access To Birth Info Approved

TRENTON – A Senate Committee substitute for bills sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Loretta Weinberg which would give adoptees in New Jersey access to medical history and birth records was approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today by a vote of 8-1.

“For me, this issue is a fundamental civil right for adoptees seeking information about who they are and where they came from,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “For many adopted people, core questions of identity cannot be answered without knowing something about their birth parents and their family medical and cultural history. This bill would give adopted people in New Jersey access to information that is vital to protect their health and establish a line of family history that would otherwise not exist.”

04 Mar 2010