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HB 664

Adult adoptee access to original birth certificate; contact preference form.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Wendell Walker

Virginia bill grants adoptees access to original birth certificates and establishes contact preference forms for adoptees and biological parents to manage reunion requests.

Incorporated by Health and Human Services (HB301-Callsen) (Voice Vote)
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Bill Summary · HB 664

Legislative bill overview

HB 664 grants adult adoptees in Virginia the right to access their original birth certificates and establishes a contact preference form system. The bill allows adoptees to indicate whether they wish to be contacted by biological relatives while protecting the privacy preferences of birth parents who can file their own preference forms.

Why is this important

Access to original birth certificates addresses a significant gap in adoptee rights, providing crucial medical and genealogical information that many adoptees seek for identity and health reasons. The contact preference mechanism balances adoptee access with the privacy interests of biological parents who may not want contact, while many other states have already implemented similar laws without documented harm.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy concerns for birth parents: Some argue that biological parents who placed children for adoption with confidentiality expectations should have stronger protections than a preference form alone
  • Implementation costs and feasibility: Questions about administrative burden on vital records departments and whether the state will adequately fund the new system
  • Scope of "contact preference": Unclear whether adoptees can access birth certificates if biological parents file "no contact" preferences, or whether access is blocked entirely

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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