Senate bill · S3765 (2025-26)

Relates to birth certificates for foreign adoptions

Latest action Nov 21, 2025

Relates to birth certificates for foreign adoptions; makes certain provisions retroactive.

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Where it stands

Signed into law.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A1944, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Passed as A1944, the matching Assembly bill.

Amends the Public Health Law.

Committee

Health · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Health · New York State Senate, Judiciary · New York State Assembly, Judiciary · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Section 1 amends section 4138-b of the public health law to clarify the procedures for issuance of a birth certificate apply to adopted persons of any age, and that this provision is retroactive. Section 2 is the effective date.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJun 13, 2025Result: passedSenate vote on A1944, the matching Assembly bill.
(59) (0) (0) (4)
Vote: Committee vote · Health
Senate HealthMar 4, 2025Result: passed
(15) (0) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Andrew Hevesi, Edward Ra and 4 more on Agora

Democratic5
Republican1

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why the sponsor says this is needed

Under current law, people born in other countries adopted by residents of New York may receive birth certificates in New York state upon the finalization of their adoption. This is a crucial area of our public health statutes that allows adopted persons to have access to the iden- tification documents needed for travel, education, marriage, or other aspects of everyday life. However, because the current statute authorizes the issuance of certif- icates to an adopted "child," the department of health has refrained from issuing such certificates to foreign-born adoptees whose adoption was finalized after the age of eighteen. This restriction unnecessarily burdens adult foreign-born adoptees. This legislation would replace the word "child" with "person of any age" in the foreign adoption statute and explicitly provide a path for adop- tees born in other countries to obtain amended birth certificates in New York State. The legislation specifies that this change in eligibility would be retroactive, such that adoptees who were adopted as adults before the effective date may be eligible for such certificates.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Nov 21, 2025
Approval MEMO.5
APPROVAL MEMO.5
NY Assembly
Nov 21, 2025
Signed
SIGNED CHAP.509
NY Assembly
Nov 17, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
NY Assembly
Jun 13, 2025
3RD Reading CAL.495
3RD READING CAL.495
NY Senate
Jun 13, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate

Show full history (11 earlier events)

Jun 13, 2025
Substituted
SUBSTITUTED FOR S3765
NY Senate
May 19, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO SENATE
NY Assembly
May 19, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
May 19, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Senate
May 15, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading CAL.148
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING CAL.148
NY Assembly
May 13, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED
NY Assembly
Mar 10, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Mar 5, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
Mar 4, 2025
1ST Report CAL.495
1ST REPORT CAL.495
NY Senate
Jan 29, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Senate
Jan 14, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 21, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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