It is the policy of this state that adoption is based upon the legal termination of parental rights and responsibilities of birth parents and the creation of the legal relationship of parents and child between an adoptee and the adoptive parents. These legal and social premises underlying adoption must be maintained. The state recognizes that some persons who were adopted as children have a strong desire to obtain identifying information about their birth parents, alleged genetic parent or genetic siblings while other such adoptees have no such desire. The state further recognizes that some birth parents have a strong desire to obtain identifying information about their genetic children who were adopted, while other birth parents have no such desire. The state fully recognizes the right to privacy and confidentiality of birth parents whose children were adopted, the adoptees and the adoptive parents. The purpose of ORS 109.425 to 109.507 and 432.250 is to:

1. (1) Set up a voluntary adoption registry where birth parents, alleged genetic parents, adoptees and genetic siblings of adoptees may register their willingness to the release of identifying information to each other;
2. (2) Provide for the disclosure of identifying information to birth parents and their progeny through a person employed or approved by a licensed adoption agency or the Department of Human Services, if the relevant persons for such disclosure are registered;
3. (3) Provide for the transmission of nonidentifying health and genetic and social histories of adoptees, birth parents, alleged genetic parents, genetic siblings of adoptees and other specified persons; and
4. (4) Provide for disclosure of specific identifying information to Indian tribes or governmental agencies when needed to establish the adoptee’s eligibility for tribal membership or for benefits or to a person responsible for settling an estate that refers to the adoptee.

Note: See note under 109.425.

[1983 c.672 §1; 1989 c.372 §5; 1995 c.79 §40; 1995 c.730 §8; 1997 c.442 §2; 2013 c.346 §15; 2015 c.200 §2; 2025 c.592 §129]