Section 9203 Of Chapter 7. Disclosure Of Information From California Family Law Code >> Division 13. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 7.
9203
. (a) The department or a licensed adoption agency shall do the
following:
(1) Upon the request of a person who has been adopted pursuant to
this part and who has attained the age of 21 years, disclose the
identity of the person's birth parent or parents and their most
current address shown in the records of the department or licensed
adoption agency, if the birth parent or parents have indicated
consent to the disclosure in writing.
(2) Upon the request of the birth parent of a person who has been
adopted pursuant to this part and who has attained the age of 21
years, disclose the adopted name of the adoptee and the adoptee's
most current address shown in the records of the department or
licensed adoption agency, if the adult adoptee has indicated in
writing, pursuant to the registration program developed by the
department, that the adult adoptee wishes the adult adoptee's name
and address to be disclosed.
(3) Upon the request of the adoptive parent of a person under the
age of 21 years who has been adopted pursuant to this part, disclose
the identity of a birth parent and the birth parent's most current
address shown in the records of the department or licensed adoption
agency if the department or licensed adoption agency finds that a
medical necessity or other extraordinary circumstances justify the
disclosure.
(b) The department shall prescribe the form of the request
required by this section. The form shall provide for an affidavit to
be executed by the requester that to the best of the requester's
knowledge the requester is an adoptee, the adoptee's birth parent, or
the adoptee's adoptive parent. The department may adopt regulations
requiring any additional means of identification from a requester
that it deems necessary. The request shall advise an adoptee that if
the adoptee consents, the adoptee's adoptive parents will be notified
of the filing of the request before the release of the name and
address of the adoptee's birth parent.
(c) Subdivision (a) is not applicable if a birth parent or an
adoptee has indicated that he or she does not wish his or her name or
address to be disclosed.
(d) Within 20 working days of receipt of a request for information
pursuant to this section, the department shall either respond to the
request or forward the request to a licensed adoption agency that
was a party to the adoption.
(e) Notwithstanding any other law, the department shall announce
the availability of the present method of arranging contact among an
adult adoptee, the adult adoptee's birth parents, and adoptive
parents authorized by Section 9204 utilizing a means of communication
appropriate to inform the public effectively.
(f) The department or licensed adoption agency may charge a
reasonable fee in an amount the department establishes by regulation
to cover the costs of processing requests for information made
pursuant to subdivision (a). The department or licensed adoption
agency shall waive fees authorized by this section for any person who
is receiving public assistance pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with
Section 11000) of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
The revenue resulting from the fees so charged shall be utilized by
the department or licensed adoption agency to increase existing staff
as needed to process these requests. Fees received by the department
shall be deposited in the Adoption Information Fund. This revenue
shall be in addition to any other funds appropriated in support of
the state adoption program.
(g) This section applies only to adoptions in which the
relinquishment for or consent to adoption was signed or the birth
parent's rights were involuntarily terminated by court action on or
after January 1, 1984.