Section 9206 Of Chapter 7. Disclosure Of Information From California Family Law Code >> Division 13. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 7.
9206
. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the department or licensed
adoption agency shall release any letters, photographs, or other
items of personal property in its possession to an adoptee, birth
parent, or adoptive parent, upon written request. The material may be
requested by any of the following persons:
(1) The adoptee, if the adoptee has attained the age of 18 years.
(2) The adoptive parent or parents, on behalf of an adoptee under
the age of 18 years, as long as instructions to the contrary have not
been made by the depositor.
(3) The birth parent or parents.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, all identifying names and
addresses shall be deleted from the letters, photographs, or items of
personal property before delivery to the requester.
(c) Letters, photographs, and other items of personal property
deposited on or after January 1, 1985, shall be accompanied by a
release form or similar document signed by the person depositing the
material, specifying to whom the material may be released. At its
discretion, the department or licensed adoption agency may refuse for
deposit items of personal property that, because of value or bulk,
would pose storage problems.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), only the following
photographs deposited before January 1, 1985, shall be released:
(1) Photographs of the adoptee that have been requested by the
adoptee.
(2) Photographs that have been deposited by the adoptee, the
adoptive parent or parents, or the birth parent or parents, and for
which there is a letter or other document on file indicating that
person's consent to the release of the photographs.
(e) The department and licensed adoption agencies may charge a fee
to cover the actual costs of any services required by this section
in excess of normal postadoptive services provided by the department
or agency. The department shall develop a fee schedule that shall be
implemented by the department and licensed adoption agencies in
assessing charges to the person who deposits the material or the
person to whom the material is released. The fee may be waived by the
department or licensed adoption agencies in cases in which it is
established that a financial hardship exists.
(f) "Photograph" as used in this section means a photograph of the
person depositing the photograph or the person making the request
for the release.