750 ILCS 50/18.1b

(750 ILCS 50/18.1b)

Sec. 18.1b. The Illinois Adoption Registry Application. The Illinois Adoption Registry Application shall substantially include the following:

(a) General Information. The Illinois Adoption Registry Application shall include the space to provide Information about the registrant including his or her surname, given name or names, social security number (optional), mailing address, home telephone number, gender, date and place of birth, and the date of registration. If applicable and known to the registrant, he or she may include the maiden surname of the birth mother, any subsequent surnames of the birth mother, the surname of the birth father, the given name or names of the birth parents, the dates and places of birth of the birth parents, the surname and given name or names of the adopted person prior to adoption, the gender and date and place of birth of the adopted or surrendered person, the name of the adopted person following his or her adoption and the state and county where the judgment of adoption was finalized.

(b) Medical Information Exchange Questionnaire. In recognition of the importance of medical information and of recent discoveries regarding the genetic origin of many medical conditions and diseases all registrants shall be asked to voluntarily complete a Medical Information Exchange Questionnaire. The Medical Information Exchange Questionnaire shall include a comprehensive check-list of medical conditions and diseases including those of genetic origin.

(1) Birth relatives shall be asked to indicate all genetically-inherited diseases and conditions on this list which are known to exist in the adopted or surrendered person's birth family at the time of registration. In addition, all birth relatives shall be apprised of the Registry's provisions for voluntarily submitting information about their and their family's medical histories on a confidential, ongoing basis.

(2) Adopted and surrendered persons and their adoptive parents, legal guardians, adult children, adult grandchildren, and surviving spouses shall be asked to indicate all genetically-inherited diseases and medical conditions with which the adopted or surrendered person or, if applicable, his or her children have been diagnosed since birth.

(3) The Medical Information Exchange Questionnaire shall include a space where the registrant may authorize the release of the Medical Information Exchange Questionnaire to specified registered parties and a disclaimer informing registrants that the Department of Public Health cannot guarantee the accuracy of medical information exchanged through the Registry.

(c) Written statement. All registrants shall be given the opportunity to voluntarily file a written statement with the Registry. This statement shall be submitted in the space provided. No written statement submitted to the Registry shall include identifying information pertaining to any person other than the registrant who submitted it. Any such identifying information shall be redacted by the Department or returned for removal of identifying information.

(d) Exchange of information. All registrants except birth parents may indicate their wishes regarding contact and the exchange of identifying and/or medical information with any other registrant by completing an Information Exchange Authorization or a Denial of Information Exchange. Birth parents may indicate their wishes regarding contact by filing a Birth Parent Preference Form pursuant to the procedures outlined in this Section.

(1) Information Exchange Authorization. Adopted or surrendered persons 21 years of age or over who are interested in exchanging identifying and/or medical information or would welcome contact with one or more of their birth relatives; birth siblings 21 years of age or over who were adopted or surrendered and who are interested in exchanging identifying and/or medical information or would welcome contact with an adopted or surrendered person, or one or more of his or her adoptive parents, legal guardians, adult children, adult grandchildren, or a surviving spouse; birth siblings 21 years of age or over who were not surrendered and who have submitted proof of death for any common birth parent who did not file a Denial of Information Exchange or a Birth Parent Preference Form on which Option E was selected prior to his or her death, and who are interested in exchanging identifying and/or medical information or would welcome contact with an adopted or surrendered person, or one or more of his or her adoptive parents, legal guardians, adult children, adult grandchildren, or a surviving spouse; birth aunts and birth uncles 21 years of age or over who have submitted birth certificates for themselves and a deceased birth parent naming at least one common biological parent as well as proof of death for a deceased birth parent and who are interested in exchanging identifying and/or medical information or would welcome contact with an adopted or surrendered person 21 years of age or over, or one or more of his or her adoptive parents, legal guardians, adult children, adult grandchildren, or a surviving spouse; birth grandparents who have submitted birth certificates for themselves and a deceased birth parent as well as proof of death for a deceased birth parent and who are interested in exchanging identifying and/or medical information or would welcome contact with an adopted or surrendered person 21 years of age or over, or one or more of his or her adoptive parents, legal guardians, adult children, adult grandchildren, or a surviving spouse; adoptive parents or legal guardians of adopted or surrendered persons under the age of 21 who are interested in exchanging identifying and/or medical information or would welcome contact with one or more of the adopted or surrendered person's birth relatives; adoptive parents and legal guardians of deceased adopted or surrendered persons 21 years of age or over who have submitted proof of death for a deceased adopted or surrendered person who did not file a Denial of Information Exchange prior to his or her death and who are interested in exchanging identifying and/or medical information or would welcome contact with one or more of the adopted or surrendered person's birth relatives; adult children of deceased adopted or surrendered persons who have submitted a birth certificate naming the adopted or surrendered person as their biological parent, and, in the case of adult grandchildren, their birth certificate and a birth certificate naming the adopted or surrendered person as their parent's biological parent, and proof of death for an adopted or surrendered person who did not file a Denial of Information Exchange prior to his or her death; and surviving spouses of deceased adopted or surrendered persons who have submitted a marriage certificate naming an adopted or surrendered person as their deceased wife or husband and proof of death for an adopted or surrendered person who did not file a Denial of Information Exchange prior to his or her death and who are interested in exchanging identifying and/or medical information or would welcome contact with one or more of the adopted or surrendered person's birth relatives may specify with whom they wish to exchange identifying information by filing an Information Exchange Authorization.

(2) Denial of Information Exchange. Adopted or surrendered persons 21 years of age or over who do not wish to exchange identifying information or establish contact with one or more of their birth relatives may specify with whom they do not wish to exchange identifying information or do not wish to establish contact by filing a Denial of Information Exchange. Birth relatives other than birth parents who do not wish to establish contact with an adopted or surrendered person or one or more of his or her adoptive parents, legal guardians, or adult children or adult grandchildren may specify with whom they do not wish to exchange identifying information or do not wish to establish contact by filing a Denial of Information Exchange. Birth parents who wish to prohibit the release of their identifying information on the original birth certificate released to an adult adopted or surrendered person who was born after January 1, 1946, or to the surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person who was born after January 1, 1946, may do so by filing a Denial with the Registry on or before December 31, 2010. Adoptive parents or legal guardians of adopted or surrendered persons under the age of 21 who do not wish to establish contact with one or more of the adopted or surrendered person's birth relatives may specify with whom they do not wish to exchange identifying information by filing a Denial of Information Exchange. Adoptive parents, adult children, adult grandchildren, and surviving spouses of deceased adoptees who do not wish to exchange identifying information or establish contact with one or more of the adopted or surrendered person's birth relatives may specify with whom they do not wish to exchange identifying information or do not wish to establish contact by filing a Denial of Information Exchange.

(3) Birth Parent Preference Form. Beginning January 1, 2011, birth parents who are eligible to register with the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange and whose birth child was born on or after January 1, 1946 may communicate their wishes regarding contact or may prohibit the release of identifying information on the non-certified copy of the original birth certificate released under subsection (e) of this Section by filing a Birth Parent Preference Form with the Registry. Birth parents whose birth child was born before January 1, 1946, may communicate their wishes regarding contact by completing a Birth Parent Preference Form, selecting Option A, B, C, or D, and filing the form with the Registry, but may not prohibit the release of identifying information. All Birth Parent Preference Forms on file with the Registry at the time of receipt of a Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate from an adult adopted or surrendered person or the surviving adult child, surviving adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person shall be forwarded to the relevant adopted or surrendered person or surviving adult child, surviving adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person along with a non-certified copy of the adopted or surrendered person's original birth certificate as outlined in subsection (e) of this Section.

(e) Procedures for requesting a non-certified copy of an original birth certificate by an adult adopted or surrendered person or by a surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person:

(1) On or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, any adult adopted or surrendered person who was born in Illinois prior to January 1, 1946, may complete and file with the Registry a Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate. The Registry shall provide such adult adopted or surrendered person with an unaltered, non-certified copy of his or her original birth certificate upon receipt of the Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate. Additionally, in cases where an adopted or surrendered person born in Illinois prior to January 1, 1946, is deceased, and one of his or her surviving adult children, adult grandchildren, or his or her surviving spouse has registered with the Registry, he or she may complete and file with the Registry a Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate. The Registry shall provide such surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse with an unaltered, non-certified copy of the adopted or surrendered person's original birth certificate upon receipt of the Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate.

(2) Beginning November 15, 2011, any adult adopted or surrendered person who was born in Illinois on or after January 1, 1946, may complete and file with the Registry a Request for a Non-certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate. Additionally, in cases where the adopted or surrendered person is deceased and one of his or her surviving adult children, adult grandchildren, or his or her surviving spouse has registered with the Registry, he or she may complete and file with the Registry a Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate. Upon receipt of such request from an adult adopted or surrendered person or from one of his or her surviving adult children, adult grandchildren, or his or her surviving spouse, the Registry shall:

(i) Determine if there is a Denial of Information Exchange which was filed by a birth parent named on the original birth certificate prior to January 1, 2011. If a Denial was filed by a birth parent named on the original birth certificate prior to January 1, 2011, and there is no proof of death in the Registry file for the birth parent who filed said Denial, the Registry shall inform the requesting adult adopted or surrendered person or the requesting surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person that they may receive a non-certified copy of the original birth certificate from which all identifying information pertaining to the birth parent who filed the Denial has been redacted. A requesting adult adopted or surrendered person shall also be informed in writing of his or her right to petition the court for the appointment of a confidential intermediary pursuant to Section 18.3a of this Act and, if applicable, to conduct a search through an agency post-adoption search program once 5 years have elapsed since the birth parent filed the Denial of Information Exchange with the Registry.

(ii) Determine if a birth parent named on the original birth certificate has filed a Birth Parent Preference Form. If one of the birth parents named on the original birth certificate filed a Birth Parent Preference Form and selected Option A, B, C, or D, the Registry shall forward to the adult adopted or surrendered person or to the surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person a copy of the Birth Parent Preference Form along with an unaltered non-certified copy of his or her original birth certificate. If one of the birth parents named on the original birth certificate filed a Birth Parent Preference Form and selected Option E, and there is no proof of death in the Registry file for the birth parent who filed said Birth Parent Preference Form, the Registry shall inform the requesting adult adopted or surrendered person or the requesting surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person that he or she may receive a non-certified copy of the original birth certificate from which identifying information pertaining to the birth parent who completed the Birth Parent Preference Form has been redacted per the birth parent's specifications on the Form. The Registry shall forward to the adult adopted or surrendered person or to the surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person a copy of the Birth Parent Preference Form filed by the birth parent from which identifying information has been redacted per the birth parent's specifications on the Form. The requesting adult adopted or surrendered person shall also be informed in writing of his or her right to petition the court for the appointment of a confidential intermediary pursuant to Section 18.3a of this Act, and, if applicable, to conduct a search through an agency post-adoption search program once 5 years have elapsed since the birth parent filed the Birth Parent Preference Form, on which Option E was selected, with the Registry.

(iii) Determine if a birth parent named on the original birth certificate has filed an Information Exchange Authorization.

(iv) If the Registry has confirmed that a requesting adult adopted or surrendered person or the parent of a requesting adult child of a deceased adopted or surrendered person or the husband or wife of a requesting surviving spouse was not the object of a Denial of Information Exchange filed by a birth parent on or before December 31, 2010, and that no birth parent named on the original birth certificate has filed a Birth Parent Preference Form where Option E was selected prior to the receipt of a Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate, the Registry shall provide the adult adopted or surrendered person or his or her surviving adult child or surviving spouse with an unaltered non-certified copy of the adopted or surrendered person's original birth certificate.

(3) In cases where the Registry receives a Birth Parent Preference Form from a birth parent subsequent to the release of the non-certified copy of the original birth certificate to an adult adopted or surrendered person or to the surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person, the Birth Parent Preference Form shall be immediately forwarded to the adult adopted or surrendered person or to the surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of the deceased adopted or surrendered person and the birth parent who filed the form shall be informed that the relevant original birth certificate has already been released.

(4) A copy of the original birth certificate shall only be released to adopted or surrendered persons who were born in Illinois; to surviving adult children, adult grandchildren, or surviving spouses of deceased adopted or surrendered persons who were born in Illinois; or to 2 registered parties who have both consented to the release of a non-certified copy of the original birth certificate to one another through the Registry when the birth of the relevant adopted or surrendered person took place in Illinois.

(5) In cases where the Registry receives a Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate from an adult adopted or surrendered person who has not completed a Registry application and the file of that adopted or surrendered person includes an Information Exchange Authorization, Birth Parent Preference Form, or Medical Information Exchange Questionnaire from one or more of his or her birth relatives, the Registry shall so inform the adult adopted or surrendered person and forward Registry application forms to him or her along with a non-certified copy of the original birth certificate consistent with the procedures outlined in this subsection (e).

(6) In cases where a birth parent registered with the Registry and filed a Medical Information Exchange Questionnaire prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly but gave no indication as to his or her wishes regarding contact or the sharing of identifying information, the Registry shall contact the birth parent by written letter prior to January 1, 2011, and provide him or her with the opportunity to indicate his or her preference regarding contact and the sharing of identifying information by submitting a Birth Parent Preference Form to the Registry prior to November 1, 2011.

(7) In cases where the Registry cannot locate a copy of the original birth certificate in the Registry file, they shall be authorized to request a copy of the original birth certificate from the Illinois county where the birth took place for placement in the Registry file.

(8) Adopted and surrendered persons who wish to have their names placed with the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange may do so by completing a Registry application at any time, but completing a Registry application shall not be required for adopted and surrendered persons who seek only to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate or any relevant Birth Parent Preference Forms through the Registry.

(9) In cases where a birth parent filed a Denial of Information Exchange with the Registry prior to January 1, 2011, or filed a Birth Parent Preference Form with the Registry and selected Option E after January 1, 2011, and a proof of death for the birth parent who filed the Denial or the Birth Parent Preference Form has been filed with the Registry by a confidential intermediary, a surviving relative of the deceased birth parent, or a birth child of the deceased birth parent, the Registry shall be authorized to release an unaltered non-certified copy of the original birth certificate to an adult adopted or surrendered person or to the surviving adult child, adult grandchild, or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person who has filed a Request for a Non-Certified Copy of the Original Birth Certificate with the Registry.

(10) On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, in cases where all birth parents named on the original birth certificate of an adopted or surrendered person born after January 1, 1946, are deceased and copies of death certificates for all birth parents named on the original birth certificate have been filed with the Registry by either a confidential intermediary, a surviving relative of the deceased birth parent, or a birth child of the deceased birth parent, the Registry shall be authorized to release a non-certified copy of the original birth certificate to the adopted or surrendered person upon receipt of his or her Request for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate.

(f) A registrant may complete all or any part of the Illinois Adoption Registry Application. All Illinois Adoption Registry Applications, Information Exchange Authorizations, Denials of Information Exchange, requests to revoke an Information Exchange Authorization or Denial of Information Exchange, Birth Parent Preference Forms, and affidavits submitted to the Registry shall be accompanied by proof of identification.

(Source: P.A. 98-704, eff. 1-1-15; 99-345, eff. 1-1-16.)