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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ch. SL 2025-92025-06-13

Vote Breakdown

Plain Language Summary

This bill modifies North Carolina's process for issuing birth certificates to adopted persons by allowing registers of deeds to issue certified copies of new adoptee birth certificates directly to eligible individuals, rather than requiring all requests to go through the State Registrar. The bill also requires registers of deeds to digitize adoptee birth certificate records within two business days when requested and mandates annual privacy training for staff handling these sensitive documents.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill improves access and convenience for adopted persons and their families by allowing them to obtain birth certificates from their local county register of deeds office rather than only through the State Registrar, reducing processing time and administrative burden.
• •They contend that decentralizing this service makes it more accessible to everyday citizens while maintaining privacy protections through restricted eligibility and required staff training.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may be concerned that distributing access to adoptee birth certificates across multiple county offices could create inconsistencies in privacy protections or data security practices, and that the two-business-day digitization requirement places administrative burdens on local registers of deeds.
• •Some may worry that expanding access points increases the risk of inadvertent disclosure of adoption records to unauthorized parties or creates challenges in consistently enforcing privacy safeguards across all counties.