HB 181: Vital records; issuance of a Certificate of Foreign Birth by the state registrar without a judicial order if certain criteria is satisfied; provide

Currently, Georgia law requires a court order (a report of adoption from a Georgia court) before the state registrar can issue a Certificate of Foreign Birth for a child born abroad and adopted by a U.S. citizen. This bill creates an exception to that rule. Under the new Code section 31-10-13.3, a child who automatically became a U.S. citizen through a foreign adoption under the federal Child Citizenship Act of 2000 and already holds a Certificate of Citizenship would not need a Georgia court order. Instead, the state registrar would issue the Certificate of Foreign Birth directly upon written request, once the parents submit the child's Certificate of Citizenship, certified adoption documents from the U.S. Embassy with an English translation, a valid photo ID for the parent or parents, and proof that the parents live in Georgia. The state registrar would also create the necessary application forms.

• Creates a new exception (O.C.G.A. § 31-10-13.3) letting some internationally adopted children get a Certificate of Foreign Birth without a Georgia court order.
• Limits the exception to children who already hold a federal Certificate of Citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.
• Requires parents to submit four specific documents: the Certificate of Citizenship, certified foreign adoption papers with English translation, a valid photo ID, and proof of Georgia residency.
• Directs the state registrar to create the application forms needed to request this certificate.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new process.

Families in Georgia who have adopted children from other countries and whose children automatically became U.S. citizens under federal law, the state registrar's office that issues vital records, and Georgia courts that previously had to issue adoption reports for this purpose.

Adoptive families would be able to get a Certificate of Foreign Birth for their child by submitting paperwork directly to the state registrar instead of going through a Georgia court, potentially making the process faster and less costly for qualifying families.

• Section 1 adds new Code Section 31-10-13.3, exempting qualifying children from the court-order requirement in Code Section 31-10-13.
• Subsection (a) limits the exemption to children who hold a federal Certificate of Citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.
• Subsection (b) lists the four required documents parents must submit: the Certificate of Citizenship, certified adoption documents with translation, valid photo ID, and proof of Georgia residency.
• Subsection (c) requires the state registrar to develop the necessary request forms.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)
2. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
3. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
4. 2026-01-12Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)
6. 2025-03-18Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
7. 2025-03-13Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
8. 2025-02-24Senate Read and Referred (Senate)

• Ginny Ehrhart (R, HD-036)Primary sponsor
• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 21, 2025

   154 yea, 0 nay (13 not voting, 13 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #62

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

• adoption
• vital records
• birth certificates
• citizenship
• Georgia families