This bill amends several sections of Minnesota Statutes to enhance the accessibility of adoption records for adoptive parents and adult adoptees. Key provisions include the requirement for the court administrator to provide certified copies of adoption decrees and related documents to adoptive parents or adult adoptees upon proper identification. Additionally, the bill introduces a new definition for "adult adopted person," specifying that it refers to individuals 18 years or older who were adopted as children under certain legal decrees.

The bill also modifies existing laws regarding the release of original birth records, ensuring that adopted individuals aged 18 and older, as well as their relatives, can obtain copies of these records. It clarifies that these records cannot be used for identification purposes and mandates that any contact preference forms associated with the original birth records be included. Furthermore, the bill emphasizes the confidentiality of adoption proceedings while allowing for the release of certain documents to authorized individuals, thereby balancing privacy with the need for access to important personal records.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 144.218, 144.2252, 259.21, 259.60, 259.61