By: Lucio  S.B. No. 714
         (In the Senate - Filed February 21, 2013; February 25, 2013,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
  March 11, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 4, Nays 1; March 11, 2013, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to access to birth records of certain adopted children.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 192.008, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
         (g)  If an adult adoptee who does not know the identity of one
  or both parents listed on the person's original birth certificate
  applies for access to the person's original birth certificate, the
  state registrar shall perform a search of reasonably available
  death records to determine if each parent named on the original
  birth certificate whose identity is unknown to the adoptee is
  deceased. Upon confirmation that each parent named on the original
  birth certificate whose identity is unknown to the adoptee is
  deceased, the registrar shall provide to the person a noncertified
  copy of the person's original birth certificate without a court
  order.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to an
  application for an original birth certificate filed on or after the
  effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the suit for
  adoption was filed before, on, or after the effective date of this
  Act. An application for an original birth certificate filed before
  the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on
  the date the application was filed, and the former law is continued
  in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
  * * * * *