The Missouri Adoptee Rights Bill was approved in the Missouri House and Senate and is on its way to Gov. Jay Nixon's desk.
The final approval came late Wednesday in the House.
If the measure becomes law, more than 500,000 adult adoptees in Missouri would have the right to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate, which has the names of their biological parents.
State Rep. Don Phillips authored the bill. He is also an adoptee.
The bill would take effect Aug. 28. Adult adoptees born before 1941 would immediately be able to see and obtain a copy of their original birth certificates from the Missouri Department of Vital Statistics. Adult adoptees born after 1941 will have to wait until January 2018 to obtain a copy.
During the one-year wait, birth mothers would be able to fill out a preference form indicating if they want to be contacted, do not want to be contacted or would like an intermediary involved if their adopted child wants to contact them.
Nixon has 40 days to sign the measure. If he does not sign it, the measure would automatically become law.
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Cynthia Newsome can be reached at Cynthia.Newsome@kshb.com.
