(a) Any authorized applicant may, by applying in person or in writing to the child-placing agency or department, request the release of information that identifies or would tend to identify biological relatives who are unknown as the result of an adoption or termination of parental rights. The child-placing agency or department shall attempt to locate the person or persons sought in the request.
(b) Following such attempt, the child-placing agency or department shall furnish the information requested unless: (1) The consents required by section 45a-751b are not given; or (2) the child-placing agency or department determines at any time that the release of the requested information would be seriously disruptive to or endanger the physical or emotional health of the applicant; or (3) the child-placing agency or department determines at any time that the release of the requested information would be seriously disruptive to or endanger the physical or emotional health of the person whose identity is being requested.
(c) If the child-placing agency or department within sixty days of receipt of the request denies the request pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the child-placing agency or department shall inform the applicant in writing of its determination. If a determination to grant or to deny the request is not reached within sixty days, the child-placing agency or department shall state the reason for the delay.
(P.A. 77-246, S. 15; P.A. 80-476, S. 166; P.A. 87-555, S. 9; P.A. 90-230, S. 57, 101; P.A. 92-118, S. 7; P.A. 93-208, S. 2; P.A. 95-179, S. 4; 95-316, S. 15; P.A. 96-130, S. 29.)
History: P.A. 80-476 reworded provisions and substituted superior court for juvenile court where appearing; P.A. 87-555 deleted former provisions and substituted new provisions re request of information and disclosure of information by agency or department, petition to court of probate or superior court, determination by court, disclosure of identifying information and consent of genetic parents; P.A. 90-230 corrected internal references in Subsec. (c); Sec. 45-68j transferred to Sec. 45a-751 in 1991; P.A. 92-118 amended Subsec. (b) by changing reference to “45-68i” to “45a-750”; P.A. 93-208 amended Subsec. (c) by adding phrase “including a person claiming to be the father who was not a party to the proceedings for the termination of parental rights”; P.A. 95-179 changed “adult adopted or adoptable person” and “petitioner” to “applicant” and “genetic parent” to “person whose identity is being requested” and amended Subsec. (c) by adding provisions re availability of identifying information if parental rights terminated on or after October 1, 1995, and availability of such information if parental rights terminated before September 30, 1995; P.A. 95-316 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to require consent of genetic parent who was party to proceedings rather than that of parent not party to proceedings for disclosure of information; P.A. 96-130 revised section by rewriting Subsec. (a) and designating provisions as Subsecs. (a) to (c) and deleting former Subsecs. (b), (c) and (d) re disclosure of identifying information.
Annotation to former section 45-68j:
Cited. 216 C. 563.