Rating: +1

Bill Summary:
H0047 amends Idaho Code § 39-258 to expand access to adoption records for adult adoptees. The bill allows any adoptee aged 18 or older (or their legal representative) to request and obtain their original birth certificate, medical and demographic information, and the adoption report—subject to completion of the state’s voluntary adoption registry process. Birth parents who are also registered on the registry are given a 30-day window to indicate a preferred method of contact, request no contact, or request that their name be redacted from the record for five years. The bill preserves all judicial confidentiality protections and clarifies the roles of the state registrar and courts. It includes an emergency clause and becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:
H0047 strikes a thoughtful balance between the rights of adoptees to know their biological origins and the privacy of birth parents. It supports the Idaho Republican Party Platform’s emphasis on personal responsibility, the sanctity of family, and individual liberty—without growing bureaucracy or spending taxpayer dollars. The process is voluntary, safeguards are in place, and no new entitlement is created. By empowering adults to access their own records while protecting birth parents’ preferences, the bill advances transparency and human dignity in a limited-government framework.