Gov. Mike Pence signs Seate Enrolled Act 91, opening old Indiana adoption records, on Friday in his Statehouse office. Photo provided by governor's office
INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers adopted prior to 1994 soon will be able to access state records about their birth parents, unless a parent takes steps to prevent disclosure.
Republican Gov. Mike Pence signed into law Senate Enrolled Act 91 on Friday. It opens on July 1, 2018, the records of Indiana adoptions completed between 1941 and 1993 that currently are generally unavailable to adoptees.
The new statute, which passed the Republican-controlled Senate, 43-5, and the Republican-controlled House, 72-24, changes the default to match post-1993 adoptions by making the old records open unless the State Department of Public Health is instructed to keep them closed.
"I want Indiana to be known as the most pro-adoption state in America, and SEA 91 will give greater clarity and compassion to our adoption laws," Pence said.
Under the law, a birth parent can limit release of his or her identifying information by filing a "contact preference form" with the health department indicating whether he or she welcomes contact from a child given up for adoption, prefers contact only through an intermediary or refuses all contact.
"Today marks a tremendous victory for hundreds of thousands of people adopted in Indiana," said Pam Kroskie, the group's president.
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