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Bills

SB 381: Vital records: adoptees’ birth certificates.

  • Session Year: 2025-2026
  • House: Senate

Current Status:

In Progress

(2026-01-15: From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (January 14).)

Introduced

First Committee Review

First Chamber

Second Committee Review

Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Existing law prohibits an agency from disclosing personal information that would link the information to the individual unless, among other things, the information is provided to a governmental entity by law, or the disclosure is to the individual to whom the information pertains. Existing law makes vital records related to adoptions, other than a newly issued birth certificate, available only upon the order of the superior court of the county of residence of the adopted child or of the county granting the order of adoption.

This bill would authorize the disclosure of an original birth certificate, as defined, to an adopted person, or descendant, as defined, of a deceased adopted person, would require the State Registrar to provide a copy of the original birth certificate to those persons, and would establish a process to request an original birth certificate, as specified. The bill would also require the State Registrar to create and make available to a birth parent a contact preference form containing certain elections that would be available for release when a request for an original birth certificate is made.

Existing law requires the clerk of the court to report the decree to the State Registrar within 5 days after a decree of adoption. Existing law requires the State Registrar to generate a new birth certificate when the State Registrar receives a report of adoption from a specified court or when the State Registrar receives a specified court order.

Existing law requires the new birth certificate to bear certain information and be identical to the certificate issued to the natural parents, except, when requested by the adopting parents, the certificate is required to omit the facility of birth and the race and color of the parents.

This bill would remove the adopted parents exception described above that required the certificate to omit the facility of birth and the race and color of the parents.

Existing law authorizes the adopting parents to request an amended certificate that omits, among other things, the city and county of birth, or the color and race of the parents.

This bill would repeal that authorization.

Existing law regulates the hiring of real property and imposes various requirements on landlords relating to the application for, and leasing of, residential rental property. Existing law places limitations on the amount of rent and security that a landlord can charge a tenant, as specified.This bill would enact the Fair Rental Act of 2025. The bill would prohibit a landlord or their agent from charging certain fees, including, any fee that is not specified in the rental agreement, a processing fee, including a convenience fee or a check cashing fee, for the payment of rent or any other fees or deposits, or a fee for a tenant to own a household pet. The bill would also prohibit a landlord or their agent from charging a late fee for the late payment of rent that is more than 2% of the monthly rental rate, and would prohibit the late fee from being charged unless the rent is overdue by 7 days or more. Under the bill, if a landlord or their agent charges and collects a fee from a tenant that is not authorized by law, the landlord or their agent would be liable to the tenant in a civil action for the cost of the fee, plus 5% interest compounded daily from the date the fee was collected Existing law requires the owner of qualifying residential property, as defined, that provides parking with the qualifying residential property to unbundle parking from the price of rent, as specified. Existing law defines unbundled parking as the practice of selling or leasing parking spaces separate from the lease of the residential use.This bill would repeal those provisions, and instead, would prohibit a landlord or its agent from charging a fee for a parking space.Existing law authorizes a landlord or their agent to charge an applicant who requests to rent a residential housing unit an application screening fee to cover the costs of obtaining information about the applicant. Existing law prohibits the amount of the application screening free from being greater that the actual out-of-pocket costs of gathering information concerning the applicant, including, but not limited to, the cost of using a tenant screening service or a consumer credit reporting service, and the reasonable value of time spent by the landlord or their agent in obtaining information on the applicant, as provided.This bill, instead, would authorize the application screening fee to cover the costs of the screening, and would prohibit the amount of the application screening fee from being greater that the actual out-of-pocket costs of conducting the screening, including, but not limited to, the cost of using a tenant screening service or a consumer credit reporting service, as provided. The bill would thereby eliminate the authority of the landlord or their agent to charge, as part of the application screening fee, the reasonable value of time spent by the landlord or their agent in obtaining information on the applicant.

Discussed in Hearing

Senate Standing Committee on Health1H
Jan 14, 2026

Senate Standing Committee on Health

Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary43MIN
Jan 13, 2026

Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary

View Older Hearings

News Coverage:

SB 381: Vital records: adoptees’ birth certificates. | Digital Democracy