ILLINOIS OPEN ORGANIZATION www.ilopen.org IMMEDIATE HELP NEEDED ILLINOIS HB 5428 - DO NOT PASS We have an urgent situation in Illinois and we need your help. A conditional access bill, HB 5428, sponsored by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chgo), has passed the House of Representatives and is sitting in the Assignment Committee of the Senate, waiting to be referred to a standing Senate Committee. The chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate is Senator A. J. Wilhelmi (Dem -Joliet). Chief Co-Sponsors are Senator Ira Silverstein (Dem-Chgo) and Senator Iris Y.Mendez (Dem-Chgo) Please urge the senators to stop HB 5428 in its tracks. Ask them to hold it in committee until an amendment can be worked out that will treat all adoptees equally. 100% of Illinois adoptees must be able to request and receive their original birth certificates, without any restrictions, such as prior parental approval. If that cannot happen, then HB 5428 must be pulled or left to die in the Assignments Committee. HB 5428 does not treat adopted adults equally. 1)Adoptees whose birth parents file an affidavit of denial of information will not get their original birth certificate. 2)Adoptees born before Jan. 1, 1946 will get their obcs with no strings attached. However, adoptees born after this date must adhere to the criteria set up in the bill which allows a birth parent to file an affidavit of denial that could result in no issuance of a birth certificate or a birth certificate with all identifying information redacted. Adoptees' birth records were never sealed to protect the anonymity or confidentiality of birth parents. How can you tell? Because the birth certificates of children relinquished by their birth mothers are never sealed. Only at the time that an adoption decree is signed by the court is the original birth certificate ordered sealed and an amended one issued. Sealing the birth records was the state's way of making sure that no one interferes with the unity of the new, legal family created by adoption. If sealing records were meant to protect birth mothers, then the sealing would take place at the time of relinquishment - not at the time of adoption. . Text of bill: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600HB5428lv&SessionID=76&GA=96&DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=5428&print=true Please go to www.IlOpen.org to read more about this bill and see a sample letter. CONTACT INFORMATION All you have to do is write just one letter (sample at www.ilopen.org) and attach a string of bcc's for the others. Be sure to say if you reside in Illinois.. Here is a quick cut and paste list of the committee members and sponsors: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Illinois Senate Assignments Committee Members James F. Clayborne, Jr. Chairperson. (Dem - East St. Louis) 217-782-5379 Springfield [email protected] Don Harmon, Senate Assistant Majority Leader (Dem - Oak Park) 217-782-8176 Springfield 708=848-2002 Oak Park FAX - 708-848-2022 [email protected] Louis S. Viverito, Senate Majority Caucus Whip (Dem - Burbank) 217-782-0054 - Springfield FAX - 708-430-2610 [email protected] Dale A. Righter, Deputy Minority Leader (Rep - Mattoon) 217-782-6674 - Springfield 217-235-6033 - Mattoon FAX - 217-235-6052 [email protected] Kirk W. Dillard (Rep - Westmont) 217- 782-8148 - Springfield 630-969-0990 Westmont Fax - 630-969-1007 [email protected] Sponsor of HB 5428 in Senate: A.J. Wilhelmi, (Dem - Joliet) 217-782-8800 Springfield 815-207-4445 FAX 815-2-7-4446 [email protected] Chief Co-Sponsors of HB 5428 In Senate: Ira Silverstein (Dem- Chgo) 217-782-5500 Springfield Fax 217-782-5340 773-743-5015 Chicago FAX 773-743-4750 [email protected] Iris Y. Martinez (Dem - Chgo) 217-782-8191 Springfield 773-463-0720 FAX 773-463-0795 [email protected]