26:8-40.34 Submission of document of contact preference by birth parent.

5. a. A birth parent of an adopted person may submit a document of contact preference to the State Registrar indicating the birth parent's preference regarding contact with the adopted person. The birth parent may change his preference at any time by submitting a revised document of contact preference to the State Registrar.

b. The State Registrar shall require a birth parent who submits a document of contact preference pursuant to this section to simultaneously submit a completed form providing updated family history information, which shall include medical, cultural, and social history information regarding the birth parent.

c. The form of the contact preference document and the form of the family history information document shall be established by the State Registrar, who shall provide a copy of each document to a birth parent, upon request. The State Registrar shall also make the documents available for downloading from the Department of Health website.

d. The document of contact preference shall provide the birth parent with the following options, from which the parent may select one:

(1) "I would like to be contacted directly. I have completed a document of contact preference and an updated family history information document and am submitting them to the State Registrar as set forth in this document";

(2) "I would prefer to be contacted only through an intermediary. I have completed a document of contact preference and an updated family history information document and am submitting them to the State Registrar as set forth in this document. I would like the following named individual to act as an intermediary __________"; or

(3) "I would prefer not to be contacted at this time. If I decide later that I would like to be contacted, I will submit a revised document of contact preference to the State Registrar. I have completed a document of contact preference and an updated family history information document and am submitting them to the State Registrar as set forth in this document."

e. The State Registrar shall request a birth parent who indicates a preference for no contact by the adopted person to update the family history information every 10 years until the birth parent reaches the age of 40, and every five years thereafter.

f. The State Registrar shall maintain a file of documents of contact preference and family history information submitted by birth parents. Upon request for an original certificate of birth pursuant to subsection c. of R.S.26:8-40.1, the State Registrar shall determine whether there is on file a document of contact preference and a family history information document regarding the adopted person, and if those documents exist, shall place and retain them in the adopted person's original certificate of birth file.

g. Upon a request for an uncertified, long-form copy of an adopted person's original certificate of birth pursuant to subsection c. of R.S.26:8-40.1, the State Registrar shall also provide the authorized requester with a copy of the birth parent's document of contact preference and the updated family history information document if those documents have been submitted to the State Registrar pursuant to this section.

h. The State Registrar shall provide to an authorized requester, upon request, any information subsequently added to an adopted person's certificate of birth file. The State Registrar may establish a system to inform authorized requesters in the event that new information is added to an adopted person's certificate of birth file.

i. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, in the case of a person adopted prior to August 1, 2015, a birth parent may submit a request for redaction of name and other identifying information of the birth parent to the State Registrar on or before December 31, 2016 that provides that the name and other identifying information of the birth parent shall be redacted in response to a request pursuant to R.S.26:8-40.1, section 4 of P.L.2014, c.9 (C.26:8-40.33), or this section. At any time following the request for redaction, the birth parent may rescind the redaction request and the State Registrar shall provide the identifying information concerning the birth parent. The State Registrar shall retain a copy of the revised request for redaction and share the information based on the revised request for redaction document in accordance with the provisions of this section.

L.2014, c.9, s.5.