SB100: SB100 "Andee's Law"; enact

Under current Georgia law, when a child is adopted, the state issues a new birth certificate listing the adoptive parents, and the original birth certificate becomes sealed. This bill amends Georgia's vital records law (O.C.G.A. § 31-10-14) to let an adopted person who is 18 or older and was born in Georgia request and receive a copy of their original birth certificate. They must pay the standard birth certificate fee, and the copy will be marked as not a certified copy and not usable for legal purposes. If the adopted person has died, a parent, sibling, or descendant may request the copy instead. The new process applies to applications submitted to the state registrar on or after July 1, 2025. The bill also updates wording throughout multiple sections of Georgia's vital records code, replacing the phrase 'certificate of birth' with 'birth certificate' for consistency, without changing what those sections do.

• Lets any adopted person 18 or older who was born in Georgia request a copy of their original, pre-adoption birth certificate from the state registrar.
• Requires the requester to pay the standard birth certificate fee set under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27.
• Requires the copy to be clearly marked as not a certified copy and not valid for legal purposes.
• Allows a deceased adopted person's parent, sibling, or descendant to request a copy of the original birth certificate on their behalf.
• Sets July 1, 2025 as the date this new request process starts applying to applications.
• Replaces the older phrase 'certificate of birth' with 'birth certificate' across 17 sections of Georgia's vital records law for consistent terminology.

Adopted adults born in Georgia who want access to their original birth records, the family members of adopted people who have died, the Georgia Department of Public Health's state registrar office that processes these requests, and anyone who works with birth certificates under the affected vital records code sections.

Adopted Georgians who currently cannot see their original birth certificate would gain a legal path to obtain a copy, which can carry personal and medical significance, though the copy could not be used for legal purposes like proving identity or citizenship.

• Section 1 names the bill 'Andee's Law' as its official short title.
• Section 2 adds subsection (h) to O.C.G.A. § 31-10-14, creating the right for adopted adults 18 or older to obtain their original birth certificate for a fee.
• Section 2 also lets a deceased adopted person's parent, sibling, or descendant request the original birth certificate.
• Section 2 limits the new process to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025.
• Section 3 replaces 'certificate of birth'/'certificates of birth' with 'birth certificate'/'birth certificates' in 17 listed Code sections covering marriage licenses, paternity records, registration, and penalties.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-13Act 184
3. 2025-05-13Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-04-02House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2025-04-02House Third Readers (House)
7. 2025-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2025-03-11House Second Readers (House)

• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)Primary sponsor
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2025

   55 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #196

2. PassedHouse voteApril 2, 2025

   145 yea, 14 nay (6 not voting, 15 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #386

• adoption records
• birth certificates
• vital records
• family law