People who were born and adopted in Connecticut prior to 1983 can now legally and easily obtain their own birth records for the first time in decades.

The passage of Public Act 21-21 gives town and city clerks the authority to provide adult adoptees access to their original birth documents, a right that was barred in 1974.

The Hospital of Central CT (formerly New Britain General) is one about 12 birthing hospitals across the state. Individuals born there can download an application to receive their birth records within 30 days at newbritainct.gov/services/town_clerk/vital_records.htm

As chairman of the CT Town Clerks Association (CTCA) Legislative & Elections Committee, New Britain City Clerk Mark Bernacki worked alongside Access Connecticut, Inc. and other advocacy groups to testify in support of this legislation. While Bernacki said there is no way to count exactly how many birth records are newly available in New Britain, it was estimated this new provision will impact about 38,000 adoptees currently living in the state.

You can learn more at: https://bit.ly/3iHjKIx.