Local and and national organizations join together to form the Texas Adoptee Rights Coalition.
TxCARE Advocacy
A new law successfully enacted on account of the work of Texas Coalition for Reform and Education (TxCARE) allows adult adoptees who know the identity of birthparents to obtain a noncertified copy of their OBC upon request and without restriction.
Central Records File
Establishment of the Central Records File, initially managed by the Department of Public Welfare, not by the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Sealing of OBCs After Adoption
Texas seals the original birth certificate upon issuance of the supplementary certificate after an adoption, making the OBC available only by court order.
Updated Adoption Law
Additional provisions for Texas adoption law are added but court involvement is not required other than to terminate an adoptive parent’s custody if the parent is deemed abusive. The new law in part also prohibits transracial adoptions.