It is of the utmost importance that access to contraception be codified into VA law. It is abundantly obvious that the US Supreme Court cannot be relied upon to protect these rights, and as safe, affordable reproductive healthcare is a necessary facet of a healthy society, it is my hope that Virginia will take every necessary step to protect this right. As a healthcare provider working in a public health setting, I can attest to the multidimensional benefits experienced by people who have affordable access to the resources necessary to protecting and advancing their reproductive health.

The right to contraception is essential for bodily autonomy which is the most fundamental of rights. It is vital that the right to obtain and use contraception be codified into Virginia law. We cannot merely rely on Supreme Court precedent to keep contraception legal. We know by dent of painful experience that relying on the courts to enforce fundamental rights is not justified. Individuals and institutions who infringe upon this fundamental right should be subject to legal action. This bill was originally introduced in 2024 and passed with bipartisan support, but was vetoed by then-Governor Youngkin. The people support this right. It should be enacted and enforced.

The General Assembly must pass HB6, establishing a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception. Healthcare is a human right, and that includes reproductive healthcare. Lamentably we cannot rely on the United States Supreme Court to continue to protect contraception, so the right to obtain and use contraception must be enshrined in Virginia law. Doing so should be uncontroversial: this bill was originally introduced in 2024 and passed with bipartisan support, but was vetoed by then-Governor Glenn Youngkin. The General Assembly must act now to guarantee Virginians’ access to this basic form of healthcare.

I believe that healthcare is a human right. Reproductive health is a fundamental part of healthcare. It is not sufficient to rely on decades-old Supreme Court rulings to maintain the right to reproductive health. It must be codified into law in order to protect this right from the whims of handpicked reactionaries in the judicial system. I urge the committee delegates to support this bill.

The League of Women Voters of Virginia supports HB6. Contraception should be accessible to all. This bill assures individuals the right to obtain and use contraceptives and protects health care providers and others who assist in providing contraceptives. Most importantly it assures that the Commonwealth and localities cannot interfere with this guaranteed access to contraception. Contraception is critical to management of a number of health conditions beyond preventing pregnancy. We urge you to support HB6

Good morning, Chairman Hope and members of the Subcommittee. My name is Tarina Keene. I am the executive director of REPRO Rising VA. We are a reproductive rights and freedom advocacy organization with more than 50,000 members across the Commonwealth. We are in strong support of HB6 - a bill to codify the right to contraception. Everyone wants and deserves the right to decide if, when, how, and with whom to start or grow their families. This legislation helps give Virginians the tools they need to make those decisions when they are ready by ensuring that every individual has the fundamental right to obtain and use contraceptives—ranging from oral medications and IUDs to emergency contraception—without government interference. It also protects the essential right of healthcare providers to offer these services and that they provide medically accurate information to their patients. In an era of increasing legal uncertainty, this bill provides a necessary shield for patients, doctors, and the Commonwealth. It empowers the Attorney General and private citizens to challenge any law that unconstitutionally restricts their decision to obtain and use birth control. This is about reproductive freedom, pure and simple. We thank Delegate Price for her diligence in bringing this legislation multiple times. This should be the year that it finally passes. I urge you to support HB6 and guarantee that personal healthcare decisions remain in the hands of patients and their providers in the code of Virginia. Thank you.

Everyone should have access to the full range of reproductive health care regardless of their income. Affordable and accessible contraceptive coverage is about increasing reproductive health equity in Virginia. Accordingly, Progress Virginia strongly supports this bill.

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB178 This should not be used to buy votes. That's exactly what it is. https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB6 No age limits, also nothing to protect females in the sex trafficking areas. https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB301/text/HB301 Could be used to id birth parents who don't want to be identified. Allows for "sex change" when you can't change who you are. Stop sneaking ideological garbage in bills.

Good Morning Chair and Members of the Committee, My name is Cheyenne Combs, and I am the Advocacy Director of Birth in Color. We speak in full support of HB6, that is being carried by Delegate Price. As an entity rooted in maternal health and reproductive justice, this bill aligns with our mission. It solidifies a women's right to her body and provides one to obtain the resources and contraceptives they need. Pregnancy prevention is a significant component of reproductive justice. As we continue to work towards an increased amount of equitable maternal healthcare, this is a step in the right direction.

Comments Document

Letter to the Committee in support of HB222 on behalf of the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance

As a mother of 2 adoptive children , I stand in support of HB301, Adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates.

As an adult adoptee, that has been negatively impacted by being sold as an infant to strangers, it is crucial that this bill is passed. Not having access to vital information, especially my original birth has been extremely taxing on my mental health and identity. Adoption has been a violation of my human rights. Please, please highly consider passing this bill.

As the wife of adopted person born in New York in 1962, I am writing to express my unwavering support for HB 301 (Adult adoptee access to original birth certificate) and request your favorable vote. HB 301 simply restores the right of adult adopted persons, born in Virginia, to obtain their own original birth certificate without hindrances. I firmly believe adult adopted people should be treated with dignity, respect, and as equals under the law to non-adopted citizens of Virginia. I was personally affected when a similar bill passed in New York and I strongly encourage you to support HB 301, as written. The truth of our origin is the birthright of everyone. My husband fought for decades to find the truth of his origin. Having his original birth certificate has been a wonderfully positive experience.

I am an adoptive parent of two minor children in Virginia. My children were born in two of the many states that permit adult adoptees to see their original birth certificates. If they had been born in Virginia, they would be denied this right. I am requesting a favorable vote in support of HB 301 (Adult adoptees; access to vital records) when it reaches the House floor. HB 301 simply restores the right of adult adopted persons, born in Virginia, to obtain their own original birth certificate without hindrances - ending a 50-year injustice. I believe adult adoptees should be treated with dignity, respect, and equality under the law, the same as non-adopted citizens of Virginia.

Comments Document

The Women's Collective for Adoptee Equality ("The Collective") is dedicated to advancing the rights and well-being of adult adopted persons by uniting with women who have lost children to adoption ("birth mothers") to support adoptee-led advocacy for unrestricted adoptee rights legislation. We are thrilled to support HB 301 that restores full equality to Virginia-born adult adopted persons in its currently written state without discriminatory amendments. The Collective's mission is to educate policymakers on the vital importance of recognizing the shared interests and solidarity between birth mothers and adult adoptees but to not let this conversation eclipse or delay the justice adoptees seek in passage of HB 301. Birth mothers play a role in this advocacy, as their voices are often used to justify keeping discriminatory policies against adult adopted persons in place. The Collective believes that by amplifying the voices of birth mothers and highlighting their support for adoptee rights we can dismantle harmful stereotypes and misconceptions that hinder and delay progress towards equality. We make the bold ask for legislators to not be distracted by centering the conversation about adoptee rights on our birth mothers because they stand in solidarity with us and it is a delay tactic that goes back to when policies made about institutions of adoption were rooted in shame and secrecy. Our ambition to get HB 301 passed this session should help our champion Delegate Callsen keep the voices of adult adoptees front and center while also emboldening the chamber to restore adoptee equality because it actually is the best thing for both adoptees and the women who lost them to adoption. Members of The Collective are organizations created by and for women who lost children to adoption. We champion the political will of legislators to abandon the culture's conditioning from harmful adoption practices and to align our laws with human rights, not institutional convenience. Therefore, The Collective stands by to help you achieve any or all of the following goals: Reclaiming Privacy: Challenge the current culture's manipulation of privacy concepts to maintain secrecy. Demonstrate how current policies enforce secrecy, not privacy. Highlight Birth Mother Support: Showcase how birth mother voices are co-opted to maintain discriminatory policies, while highlighting true birth mother support for adoptee rights and dispel misconceptions about legally defensible privacy agreements. Champion Intersectional Rights: Expose how discriminatory adoption policies perpetuate harmful stereotypes about both adoptees and birth mothers, undermining everyone's autonomy. Educate policymakers on the intersectionality of adoptee rights bills with women's rights. Actualize Contemporary Reality: Highlight how DNA testing and modern technology have made closed adoption practices obsolete, emphasizing the need for updated rights legislation. HB 301 is actually the most private option today for everyone separated by adoption. We believe the modern and forward-thinking legislators of the Virginia House of Delegates can understand this issue today and accelerate HB 301 towards passage in 2026.

I urge you to vote YES on the passage of HB 301. The truth of your origin is the birthright of every person. Adoptees are the only ones denied this right. Our birth certificate is a legal lie. Denial of access to our birth certificate is an antequated law based on the ignorance of nonadopted people that adoption perpetuates the shame, guilt and lack of control that all of us connected to adoption have experience. Please vote YES to HB301.

Subject: Birth Parent requesting YES vote on HB 301 – Adult adoptees; access to vital records Dear All Delegates As a birth/first parent of a child adopted in Virginia with a deep commitment to the well-being of individuals affected by adoption, I am reaching out to express my strong support for HB 301. When placing my child for adoption, I was unaware that my child’s original birth certificate would be sealed and kept from them, nor was this something I would have wanted. I firmly believe in the importance of treating adult adoptees with dignity, respect, and equality under the law, ensuring they have the same rights as non-adopted citizens of Virginia - and HB 301 will do just that. My son is a citizen of Virginia and deserves to receive a copy of his original birth certificate. ( OBC). As a birth/first mother of color , this is a great injustice , specifically because African slaves arrived in VIrginia in 1619 without a record of their legal name but considred chattel as slaves owned by slave owners. This is about Equal justice . ll non-adopted persons born in VIrginia have easy access to their original birth certificate, so such persons adopted in Virginia have access. I sincerely hope you will consider the importance of HB 301 as it is essential to maintaining truth and transparency in adoption. Please vote YES on HB 301.

As a foundling adoptee with no family or medical records who has studied adoption and identity for 20 years, I urge this legislative body to pass HB301. Most adoptees struggle with identity and loss, stemming from trauma and leading to sadness, anger, and frustration. The passing of this Bill would ease such traumas and frustrations because they would have access to vital information about their past, about where and who they come from, thus lending to a clear path to form their identity with the missing pieces. Please help restore the loss of adoptees by passing this important Bill. Thank you.

I worked in the field of adoption for years,, and cofounded an adoption agent. Bill 301 is very important and should be passed. Adult adoptees should have the same rights as all other Virginians with access to their original birth certificates.

I am writing to express my support of HB 301. I am an adoptee who was born in Winchester in August 1981. I know who my birth parents are; they are both dead. But that is beside the point. Like every non-adopted person, I deserve to see my birth certificate in its original form. The amended birth certificate doesn’t cut it, and needing a court order to obtain the original birth certificate is discriminatory. Adoptees always feel that there is a part of us that is missing and for me, this is it. It’s the last part of “me” that I am looking for. Thank you.

I am an adoptive parent who has three birth certificates for my child - two of which claim I gave birth to him in two different countries. While I understand how the amended birth certificate came to be and why it was easier, we have moved past the time when it was helpful. It is now a confusion and complication. A birth certificate should be about birth, and we can have an adoption certificate for adoption. Australia has had an integrated birth certificate for several years. I am also an Adoption Therapist who specializes in working with adult adoptees. It is an honor to do this work, and yet our political system requires that I not only know about therapy and adoption therapy which is a specialty, but I also need to understand search procedures in a variety of states so I can assist my clients. Out of my work as an Adoption Therapist I have organized and edited a book titled It's Not About You: Understanding Adoptee Search Reunion & Open Adoption for adoptive and birth parents and their therapists - because I have found too often that the INNATE desire for information regarding birth family is not accepted or understood. This is a deep psychological need for adoptees. It is appalling that our government treats adoptees like second class citizens, denying adults their own information. Adult adoptees deserve access to their own personal information. Genetic health information has saved some of my clients' lives. I have also been in the position to work with Genetic Sexual Attraction, a far too common but stigmatized situation that can create unwitting incest when adoptees do not realize they are genetically related to someone they meet, including siblings and parents. I strongly urge you to pass this bill and allow adoptees access to their own personal information and histories.

I am a Georgia adoptee and feel all adoptees should have access to the original birth certificate.

These should be basic right standards. These cause less trauma, less injuries, deaths, and for a better society

I am writing to express my unwavering support for HB 301 (Adult adoptee access to original birth certificate) and to request your favorable vote in the upcoming House Health and Human Services - Health Subcommittee meeting. HB 301 restores the right of adult adopted persons, born in Virginia, to obtain their own original birth certificate. As an adoptee and first mother in Virginia, I firmly believe adult adopted people should be treated with the same dignity, respect, under the law as non-adopted citizens of Virginia. I am personally affected by this bill and I strongly encourage you to support HB 301. I would love to see my real "birth" certificate, even though I have reunited with my first family. It's the final missing piece and legally, it is MINE! Thank you in advance.

Please vote YES on HB301. It is a consequential EQUAL RIGHTS issue for adoptees. I am an adoptive mother and a birth grandmother -- both in very open adoptions. I've seen firsthand how owning and embracing one's origin story is as critical to building healthy self-esteem and identity as one's faith, skin color and gender. Secrecy only fosters stigma. Secrecy can be used as a weapon. Not being allowed access to one's own birth facts is unjustifiable -- especially when no promises were made to keep this confidential. Leaving the reveal only in the hands of adoptive parents after the adoptee reaches adulthood exceeds normal parenting boundaries. Believing it is done for the adoptee's or adoptive parents' safety strains credulity. Adoptees from foster care know their origins and arguably come from the most fraught circumstances. Granting access affords adoptees their rightful dignity as adults and citizens. Please vote YES.

Comments Document

Organizational Support for HB 301 – Adult Adoptees’ Access to Original Birth Certificates. Dear Members of the Virginia General Assembly On behalf of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents, Inc. (NAAP), I am writing to express our strong support for HB 301, which would restore the right of Virginia-born adult adoptees to access their original birth certificates. NAAP is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to unifying the adoption community and elevating adoptee and family voices through education, dialogue, and advocacy. For decades, we have heard directly from adoptees, birth/first parents, and adoptive families about the lifelong consequences of sealed records. The inability of adult adoptees to access their own vital records creates unnecessary barriers to identity, medical history, and personal truth—barriers that do not exist for non-adopted citizens. HB 301 is a measured, respectful, and equitable bill. It does not alter adoption placements or diminish the role of adoptive families. Rather, it affirms that adult adoptees deserve the same dignity, autonomy, and legal equality afforded to all other adults under Virginia law. Modern adoption practice increasingly recognizes the importance of transparency, honesty, and ethical accountability. Restoring access to original birth certificates aligns Virginia with best practices already adopted in numerous other states and reflects a growing consensus that sealed records are an outdated policy rooted in stigma rather than evidence. We respectfully urge you to vote YES on HB 301 and help move Virginia toward a more just, compassionate, and inclusive adoption framework. Thank you for your service and for your thoughtful consideration of this important issue.

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB178 This should not be used to buy votes. That's exactly what it is. https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB6 No age limits, also nothing to protect females in the sex trafficking areas. https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB301/text/HB301 Could be used to id birth parents who don't want to be identified. Allows for "sex change" when you can't change who you are. Stop sneaking ideological garbage in bills.

I am writing as both a person adopted person (born and adopted in IL and now in possession of my OBC) , and the current president of Adoption Knowledge Affiliates (AKA). Individually, and as representative of AKA, I urge you to vote in favor of HB 301 (Adult Adoptee Access to Original Birth Certificate). AKA is a Texas-based 501 (c) (3) nonprofit founded over 30 years ago. We provide community, education, and support to all members of the adoption constellation, including adopted persons, birth/first parents, and adoptive and foster parents, and their extended families. We host monthly support groups, educational events, and an annual conference to raise both community and public awareness of the unique lifelong experience of adoption. AKA is neither religious nor politically affiliated, but we wholeheartedly support legislative efforts that increase transparency and support the adopted persons’ fundamental right to accurate information about their own history. Sealed records protect no one, and the resulting erasure of identity has historically been harmful to many adoptees, as well as affecting both their current and future families. A history of secrecy and erasure should never become someone's legacy. The OBC is a vital record, a true record of birth and original identity, and should belong to the person named therein, not sealed away by the state. Please join the growing list of states restoring and ensuring fundamental rights to their citizens. Please vote in favor of HB 301. Thank you, The 2026 Board of Directors Adoption Knowledge Affiliates (adoptionknowledge.org) Hannah Andrews, President

"I support HB 301 and would like Virginia born adult adoptees to have the right to obtain their original birth certificate just like every other Virginia born citizen."

HB 301 does one simple thing – restore to adult adopted persons the right to obtain their own original birth certificate. Sealing birth certificates was intended to keep sensitive information private from public view, not to keep a person from knowing their own identity and origins. Obtaining one’s own birth record is a basic right that all other groups of people have except adopted persons, and a right that Virginia-born adopted persons had prior to 1976. Restoring this right is essential to truth and transparency in adoption. Please vote YES on HB 301.

I am a resident of Georgia writing in support of Virginia adoptees. I recently received my original birth certificate. I can not express how much having this document means. I know what time I was born. I already knew my birth parents’ names, but seeing it in writing is so validating. Not having access to a document that everyone else takes for granted is so frustrating. Please take these things into consideration as you vote on this bill.

I support HB 301 and would like Virginia born adult adoptees to have the right to obtain their original birth certificate just like every other Virginia born citizen. I received mine last year from Georgia and it was life changing.

Hello, My name is Angie Swanson-Kyriaco and I am a birth mother. My daughter was born in the late 1990s in California. At this time, I am advocating for an Original Birth Certificate bill in California. I urge legislators in Virginia to please pass HB 301. Access to one's Original Birth Certificate is a human and civil rights issue and a reproductive justice issue. No adoptee is a secret and the vast majority of birth mothers, 90-95%, want their children to have their Original Birth Certificate. I urge legislators to dismiss the myth that birth mothers were promised privacy and confidentiality. Not having access to one's culture, family, and medical history can have negative lifelong impacts. I urge you to please pass HB 301. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Angie Swanson-Kyriaco

I am an adult adoptee and in full support of HB 301. Adopted persons are the only segment of the population that do not have the right to our OWN original birth certificate. An original birth certificate belongs to the person whose birth is recorded. It's not a birthing certificate. Virigina needs to correct a wrong (like Georgia did in 2025) and give adult adoptees the dignity, respect and equality everyone else has in obtaining their original birth certificate. Please pass HB 301 in Virginia. If you have any questions or need further information, please let me know.

I am a 62 year old Virginia born adoptee and lifetime resident of Virginia. I am also the birthmother of a son I delivered and placed for adoption in Virginia in 1979. Adoption has had a huge impact on every aspect of my life. I am writing to let you know that I strongly support HB301 and to ask you to please vote in favor of this bill. Unless you're adopted, it's hard to understand all the questions and emotions you have surrounding your birth and where you came from. I believe that being able to obtain a copy of your original birth certificate as an adult adoptee would help answer many of those questions and is a fundamental right that should be granted to all adult adoptees born in Virginia. Our lives as adoptees started out with very few choices and lots of decisions being made on our behalf that effected every aspect of our lives. I believe that allowing adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates should be a choice they are allowed to make. No other group of people is singled out and denied access to their original birth certificate, the first document that recognizes our existence as a human being, except for adoptees, and I believe it's time for that to change. We have the right to know who our biological parents are and to know all the details of our birth that are provided on our first birth certificate. As a birthmom, I feel just as passionate about wanting my son to have access to his original birth certificate and have no need for the state to withhold this document from him. When he was born and I had to make the hardest decision of my life, I had no expectation that the state would provide privacy or keep this information from him if he wanted to know where he came from. In fact, my hope was the complete opposite that he would someday be able to find me if he so desired and I believe that many birthparents share this same hope. Adult adoptees deserve to know where they came from and who they are and should be given the right to access their original birth certificate if they so choose. I urge you to vote yes on HB301 and help make this right a reality in our state. Thank you for your time and service.

Hello I was born and adopted in Fairfax County VA in 1964 and I am asking you to vote YES on HB301. This bill is very important to me and my descendants as it gives adult adopted persons equal access to vital records. Please vote YES on HB301! Respectfully K. McKendry

Dear Members of the Virginia General Assembly, My name is Renee Gelin. I am a mother who relinquished a child in 2011, and I am the Founder and President of Saving Our Sisters – SOS, Incorporated, a national nonprofit organization committed to family preservation, informed consent, and ethical adoption practices. I write today in strong support of HB 301, which would allow adult adopted persons access to their original birth certificates and related vital records. I come to this issue both personally and professionally. When I relinquished my parental rights to my son in 2011, I was surrounded by family and his adoptive parents. What I did not know — and what no one disclosed to me — was that my son’s original birth certificate would be sealed away and kept from him even once he reached adulthood. My son is not a secret. He is not a document to be hidden. He did not consent to relinquish his identity, his medical history, or his genealogical truth. He entered no contract. He did not agree to be treated differently from his peers. Yet under current law, adopted persons are uniquely denied what every other adult citizen is granted without question: access to their own vital records. I am part of what society refers to as the “open adoption era.” In our case, all parties know one another. There is no mystery about us, and yet the law continues to treat adopted persons as though secrecy is somehow necessary — not for the child’s protection, but for the convenience of outdated systems. I never choose nor intended to deprive my son of any part of who he is. I would never assert control over his right to his own records. And yet the law currently does exactly that on behalf of the state. Over the last 14 years, I have worked with thousands of families considering adoption. These families are not informed that their child’s original birth certificate will be sealed upon adoption finalization. Virginia HB 301 is a necessary step toward truth, dignity, and equal treatment under the law. I respectfully urge you to support its passage. Sincerely, Renee Gelin Founder & President Saving Our Sisters – SOS, Incorporated

I am a adoptee unable to get my original birth certificate as I was born in 1951 . I cannot tell you how upsetting this is for me and causes me problems in so many ways even though I am a Virginia land owner. I am treated as invisible and not real. It is tragic enough being a adoptee. Please release our birth certificate. thank you . Its time. for adoptees to be seen as real human being citizens.

Members of the committee, I urge you to vote YES for HB 301. I am a birth mother from 1968 living in Alexandria at the time and daughter was adopted in Alexandria. I was NEVER promised anonymity. All adopted persons as adults need to have access to their original birth certificates just as non adopted persons. Again, I urge you to VOTE YES to HB301. Sincerely, Phylora F. Shrieves

I am an adopted person, born in TN and adopted in GA but residing in VA. I was never able to receive a copy of my own birth records. TN referred me to GA and GA back to TN. I still feel that it is the right of every adopted person to receive their own records and information at the time of their adulthood. We are not forever children but adults who should be treated with the same respect and dignity as anyone else. We need our biological information for our own health reasons, but we also need to simply know where we come from. As an adoptee I was never interested in interfering in the lives of my biological family, but most birth mothers are not against their children knowing who they are and even if they did hold that view, it is not for them to control our knowledge of our own identities. Please pass this bill. It is long overdue.

I am in support of HB301 - allowing Adult Adopted Person's access to their own vital record of their birth, like all other adults in the Commonwealth. I am an adoptee, I am also a birth mother and I am an adoption professional, working in the field of adoption for over 35 years. Through all of my connections to adoption, I am confident that restoring adoptee's right to access their original birth certificate is the right step. We need to provide adopted persons with the respect and dignity afforded to all adult citizens. We need to trust them to decide if and when they wish to see the true verification of their birth. We need to recognize that adopted persons should not be treated any less than non-adopted citizens of the Commonwealth. Please restore the right we once had by voting YES on HB 301

I was born in Richmond, Va. in November of 1956. Three months later, I was adopted into an extremely loving home in North Carolina. As an adult, I would like to see my original birth certificate. I have a right to know the circumstances of my own birth. I have absolutely no desire to meet with or speak to any birth relatives. My suspected birth parents are both deceased. Seeing my actual birth certificate would help answer a major question about my personal biography.

My husband and I are the adoptive parents of a Virginia-born minor child. We are open and honest with her about the details of her story, which makes it difficult to explain why–according to Virginia adoption law--she may never have access to a vital record that accurately reflects the facts of her birth. Through conversations with her, and engaging with the work of advocates, we have developed a firm belief that all adult adopted people should have access to their original birth certificate, without any discriminatory restrictions. We are thrilled to see that 16 states have passed more just legislation. Virginia now has the opportunity to change their discriminatory law and ensure that all adoptees who were born here will have the same right to obtain their original birth certificate at the age of majority as every other United States citizen. I urge you to vote yes on this bill. --Abeni Crooms Glenside, PA

Comments Document

Honorable Members of the Virginia House Health and Human Services Committee: I, along with over 1,300 other mothers of adoption loss (list attached in the file), support Virginia House Bill 301 -Access to an Adopted Person’s Original Pre-Adoption Birth Certificate in its current form with no discriminatory amendments. My name is Karen Wilson-Buterbaugh. In 1966, at age 17, I was removed from school and dropped off at a maternity home to serve time as an "inmate" for my sin of "unwed" pregnancy. Besides my firsthand experience of unwillingly having my child taken from me for adoption, I offer an additional expertise to you. I am both a researcher and a published author. I founded the Baby Scoop Era Research Initiative (BSERI) in 2007. We are dedicated to research, education and inquiry into the period of American adoption history known as the Baby Scoop Era and we are established on principles of historical accuracy, truth and justice. For your reference, the Baby Scoop Era was a period in United States history starting the end of World War II through 1972, characterized by an increased rate of premarital pregnancies (due solely to population increase) over the preceding period, along with a higher rate of newborn adoptions. From approximately 1945 through 1972, it is estimated that possibly as many as 1.5 million mothers in the United States were pressured to surrender their newborn babies to adoption. Maternity reformatories, institutionally induced guilt, psychoanalytic explanations for single motherhood, and coercive adoption practices became a brief footnote in American social history, except to the marginalized mothers who survived these abusive and unethical practices. These women carried into their adult lives unaddressed burdens of worry, pain and a corrosive secret. The injurious effects of social work practice of these years are very much alive in the lives of millions of American women, including myself. There are very few organizations that oppose access to records today but those that do often claim they are protecting the privacy of natural mothers. As part of my research, we have amassed a list of women who publicly endorse a declaration that they were (a) never ‘promised confidentiality’ and (b) they completely support allowing adult adopted people to access their original pre-adoption birth certificates. The list is quite large totaling over 1,300 women—including women who relinquished in Virginia but I have included it in its entirety for you here with my statement. I ask you to vote YES on HB 301 in its current form with no discriminatory amendments. All adult adopted people should be treated equally and have unrestricted rights to their own original birth certificates. Please follow the lead of the states that treat adopted people with dignity, respect and as equals. These states have passed laws to restore the right of adopted people to access their own certificate without restrictions. Louisiana, Alabama, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, South Dakota, Minnesota and Georgia. Alaska and Kansas have always provided access for adult adopted people. Thank you for your consideration. Karen Wilson-Buterbaugh Founder, Baby Scoop Era Research Initiative Mothers for Open Records Everywhere (M.O.R.E)

Comments Document

I am writing to request your favorable vote in the upcoming House Health and Human Services - Health Subcommittee meeting on HB 301 which would simply restore the right of adult adopted persons, born in Virginia, to obtain their own original birth certificate without hindrances. Included in my letter is what the Louisiana Coalition for Adoption Reform learned when we restored access in Louisiana in 2022. Thank you.

As an adopted person born in Alexandria, VA in 1961, I am writing to express my unwavering support for HB 301 (Adult adoptee access to original birth certificate) and request your favorable vote in the upcoming House Health and Human Services - Health Subcommittee meeting. HB 301 simply restores the right of adult adopted persons, born in Virginia, to obtain their own original birth certificate without hindrances. I firmly believe adult adopted people should be treated with dignity, respect, and as equals under the law to non-adopted citizens of Virginia. I am personally affected by this bill and I strongly encourage you to support HB 301, as written. Your affirmative vote will help advance adoption policies towards a more inclusive and compassionate direction.

These should be basic right standards. These cause less trauma, less injuries, deaths, and for a better society

These should be basic right standards. These cause less trauma, less injuries, deaths, and for a better society

I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease, and eating out is now incredibly challenging - both due to the lack of transparency on menus and the due to the lack of training for restaurant workers on celiac-safe practices. As I'm also a parent of a child with disabilities who has a busy therapy schedule, eating out is too often a necessity of scheduling logistics, so simply choosing not to eat out is not as much of an option. I am also what they call a silent celiac, meaning I don't feel symptoms from eating gluten - but my body is still internally damaged by digesting it. This makes it even more critical for there to be consistent celiac safety practices, as I have no symptoms or reactions by which to evaluate my experience with a restaurant. Please take this issue seriously - this disease is incredibly frustrating as it is, given the limits it puts on us. If possible, consider also an amendment that would require that menus label gluten free options. I research every restaurant I go to now before I visit. If they don't identify anything related to gluten on their menu, I don't even go (as I don't want to get there to find out I can't have anything). Gluten hides in SO much food, especially spices - being able to see a gluten free designation on all menus would be incredibly helpful. Thank you.

I am writing in strong support of House Bill 380 as someone who has been recently diagnosed with celiac disease. Before my diagnosis, I had little understanding of how serious and exacting this condition is. I now know that even trace amounts of gluten can cause real medical harm — not just short-term discomfort, but long-term damage to my body, including intestinal injury and increased risk of other autoimmune conditions. This has completely changed how I move through everyday life, especially when eating outside my home. As a newly diagnosed person, dining out has become one of the most stressful parts of my routine. I rely heavily on restaurant staff to understand what “gluten-free” truly means, including cross-contact risks in kitchens. Too often, well-meaning servers and cooks simply haven’t been trained on what celiac disease actually is or how serious accidental exposure can be. HB 380 would help close that gap. By adding celiac awareness and safety to official training materials, this bill would equip restaurant workers with basic, consistent knowledge that could prevent illness, reduce anxiety for customers like me, and allow people with celiac disease to participate more fully in everyday life — including something as simple as sharing a meal with friends or family. For newly diagnosed patients like me, this kind of education isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. I urge you to pass HB 380 and take this important step toward safer, more inclusive food service in Virginia. Thank you for your consideration.

The Virginia Autism Project urges the members of the Health and Human Services Committee to vote YES on HB380, which would add “Celiac Disease” to the topics included in the written materials provided for the training of restaurant personnel. People with autism have rates of celiac disease that are 20 times higher than those without a diagnosis of autism. There is a significant association between celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders. Emerging studies increasingly suggest that immune dysfunction is a viable risk factor contributing to the neurodevelopmental deficits observed in autism. It can be very unsafe for someone with celiac disease to eat at restaurants where food handling staff are not knowledgeable about celiac disease. Having this requirement for training of restaurant personnel would assist in keeping autistics safe from cross-contamination by unsafe food allergy handling practices. This bill has a zero fiscal impact. Please vote YES on HB380 https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/889005