ROAR! 2013 – Restore Ohio Adoptee Rights in 2013

As you know from our last update, Sponsor Testimony will be in the House Judiciary Committee at 3 pm, Wednesday February 20th in the Ohio Statehouse, Room 121 Columbus, Ohio. Parking is available at the Statehouse or at nearby lots if the Statehouse lot is full. Please plan to arrive early if you are coming. Sponsor Testimony consists of the bill sponsors speaking to why they are introducing this bill, what it covers, and why it is important. They will then answer questions from the committee members. No other witnesses for the bill will be heard at this hearing. Future hearings will be for public testimony – you can start planning your testimony now. Please let me know if you need help. You can see samples of testimony on the Adoption Equity Ohio website.

Things you can do to help:
• Attend tomorrow’s hearing.
• Call or write letters to the House and Senate committee members (numbers and emails below). If they are not a sponsor or co-sponsor encourage their support, if they are, thank them for their support!
• Encourage any organization you can to endorse the bill by downloading and submitting the form here. Organizations that might be interested and supportive include adoption agencies, state and national child welfare organizations, civic, religious, legal, health related organizations, and more. (if you are with an organization that has verbally told me you support the bill, please complete and send me this form.)
• Make a financial contribution to help fund our efforts – you can do so by going to www.adoptionnetwork.org/roar2013.aspx or by mailing a check made out to Adoption Network Cleveland, specifying ROAR! 2013 in the memo line, to the address in my email signature below.

Senate Committee on Medicaid, Health and Human Services
Shannon Jones, Chair (R) – cosponsor, (614) 466-9737, jones@ohiosenate.gov
Dave Burke, Vice Chair (R) – primary sponsor, (614) 466-8049, Burke@ohiosenate.gov
Capri S. Cafaro, Ranking Minority Member (D), (614) 466-7182, cafaro@ohiosenate.gov
Edna Brown (D), (614) 466-5204, brown@ohiosenate.gov
Randy Gardner (R) – cosponsor, (614) 466-8060, gardner@ohiosenate.gov
Kris Jordan (R), (614) 466-8086, jordan@ohiosenate.gov
Peggy Lehner (R), (614) 466-4538, lehner@ohiosenate.gov
Scott Oelslager (R), (614) 466-0626, oelslager@ohiosenate.gov
Charleta B. Tavares (D) – cosponsor, (614) 466-5131, travares@ohiosenate.gov

House Judiciary Committee
Jim Butler, Chair (R), (614) 644-6008, rep41@ohiohouse.gov
Dorothy Pelanda, Vice Chair (R) – primary sponsor, (614) 466-8147, rep86@ohiohouse.gov
Michael Stinziano, Ranking Minority Member (D) – cosponsor, (614) 466-1896, rep18@ohiohouse.gov
Nicholas J. Celebrezze (D), (614) 466-3485, rep15@ohiohouse.gov
Margaret Conditt (R), (614) 466-8550, rep52@ohiohouse.gov
Bill Hayes (R), (614) 466-2500, rep72@ohiohouse.gov
Tom Letson (D), (614) 466-5358, rep64@ohiohouse.gov
Matt Lynch (R), (614) 466-3485, rep76@ohiohouse.gov
Connie Pillich (D) – cosponsor, (614) 466-8120, rep28@ohiohouse.gov
Marilyn Slaby (R), (614) 644-5085, rep38@ohiohouse.gov
Peter Stautberg (R), (614) 644-6886. rep27@ohiohouse.gov
Gerald L. Stebelton (R) – cosponsor, (614) 466-8100, rep77@ohiohouse.gov
Roland Winburn (D), (614) 466-2960, rep43@ohiohouse.gov

About the legislation:
Ohio Senate Bill 23, sponsored by Senators Beagle and Burke, and House Bill 61, sponsored by Representatives Pelanda and Antonio, were introduced February 12, 2013. Senate Bill 23 was assigned to the Senate Medicaid, Health and Human Services Committee and House Bill 61 was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.

The bills will allow:
• Ohio adoptees adopted 1964 to 1996* access to their Original Birth Certificate upon request at age 18, starting one year from bill passage date.
• Ohio birthparents to file a Contact Preference Form specifying if and how they would like contact.
• Ohio birthparents to complete and put on file an updated medical history for the adoptee.
(*Adult adoptees from before 1964 in Ohio already have this right, as do the vast majority of adoptees after 1996.)

To find your legislator, visit: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/
For more information, visit: www.adoptionequityohio.org/