AB53-ASA1,6,2116 (d) If one birth parent of the birth sibling who is the subject of the request has
17not had his or her parental rights to the birth sibling terminated in this state at any
18time or did not consent to the adoption of the birth sibling in this state before
19February 1, 1982, and the other birth parent was unknown at the time of the
20proceeding for termination of parental rights or consent to adoption, the department
21or agency contracted with under sub. (11) shall disclose the requested information.
AB53-ASA1,7,15 22(6) (a) If the department or agency contracted with under sub. (11) does not
23have on file an unrevoked affidavit under sub. (2) from each of the requester's known
24birth siblings who meet the criteria specified under sub. (3) (a) and (b) and an
25unrevoked affidavit under sub. (2m) from each birth parent of each of those birth

1siblings who has had his or her parental rights to any of those birth siblings
2terminated in this state at any time or who has consented to the adoption of any of
3those birth siblings in this state before February 1, 1982, the department or agency
4shall, within 3 months after the date of the original request, undertake a diligent
5search for each birth sibling who meets the criteria specified under sub. (3) (a) and
6(b) and who has not filed an unrevoked affidavit under sub. (2) and for each birth
7parent of each of those birth siblings who has had his or her parental rights to any
8of those birth siblings terminated in this state at any time or who has consented to
9the adoption of any of those birth siblings in this state before February 1, 1982, and
10who has not filed an unrevoked affidavit under sub. (2m). The search shall be
11completed within 6 months after the date of the request, unless the search falls
12within one of the exceptions established by the department by rule. If any
13information has been provided under sub. (5) about a particular birth sibling, the
14department or agency is not required to conduct a search for that birth sibling or for
15the birth parents of that birth sibling.
AB53-ASA1,7,1816 (b) Employes of the department and any agency conducting a search under this
17subsection may not inform any person other than the birth sibling or birth parent
18who is the subject of the search of the purpose of the search.
AB53-ASA1,7,2419 (c) The department or agency conducting the search shall charge the requester
20a reasonable fee for the cost of the search. When the department or agency
21determines that the fee will exceed $100 for any birth sibling or birth parent, the
22department or agency shall notify the requester. No fee in excess of $100 per birth
23sibling or birth parent may be charged unless the requester, after receiving
24notification under this paragraph, has given consent to proceed with the search.
AB53-ASA1,8,3
1(7) (a) The department or agency conducting the search shall, upon locating a
2birth sibling or birth parent, make at least one verbal contact and notify the birth
3sibling or birth parent of all of the following:
AB53-ASA1,8,44 1. The nature of the information requested.
AB53-ASA1,8,55 2. The date of the request.
AB53-ASA1,8,86 3. The fact that the birth sibling has the right to file with the department or
7agency the affidavit under sub. (2) or that the birth parent has the right to file with
8the department or agency the affidavit under sub. (2m).
AB53-ASA1,8,129 (b) Within 3 working days after contacting a birth sibling or birth parent, the
10department or agency conducting the search shall send the birth sibling or birth
11parent a written copy of the information specified under par. (a) and a blank copy of
12the affidavit.
AB53-ASA1,8,1513 (c) If the birth sibling or birth parent files the affidavit, the department or
14agency conducting the search shall disclose the requested information if permitted
15under sub. (5).
AB53-ASA1,8,1916 (d) If the department or agency conducting the search has contacted a birth
17sibling or birth parent under this subsection, and the birth sibling or birth parent
18does not file the affidavit, the department or agency may not disclose the requested
19information regarding that birth sibling.
AB53-ASA1,8,2220 (e) If, after a search under sub. (6) (a), a known birth sibling or a known birth
21parent cannot be located, the department or agency conducting the search may not
22disclose the requested information regarding that birth sibling.
AB53-ASA1,9,223 (f) The department or agency conducting a search under sub. (6) (a) may not
24contact a birth sibling or a birth parent again on behalf of the same requester until
25at least 12 months after the date of the previous contact. Further contacts with a

1birth sibling or a birth parent under this subsection on behalf of the same requester
2may be made only if 5 years have elapsed since the date of the last contact.
AB53-ASA1,9,6 3(8) If a birth sibling is known to be deceased and has not filed an unrevoked
4affidavit under sub. (2), the department or agency contracted with under sub. (11)
5shall so inform the requester and shall disclose the requested information as
6permitted under sub. (5) (a) 1., 2. or 3., (b) 1., 2. or 3., (c) or (d), whichever is applicable.
AB53-ASA1,9,10 7(8m) If the department or agency contracted with under sub. (11) may not
8disclose the information requested under sub. (3), the department or agency shall
9provide the requester with any nonidentifying social history information about any
10of the requester's birth siblings that the department or agency has on file.
AB53-ASA1,9,13 11(9) The requester may petition the circuit court to order the department or
12agency contracted with under sub. (11) to disclose any information that may not be
13disclosed under this section. The court shall grant the petition for good cause shown.
AB53-ASA1,9,18 14(10) Any person, including this state or any political subdivision of this state,
15who participates in good faith in any requirement of this section shall have immunity
16from any liability, civil or criminal, that results from that person's actions. In any
17proceeding, civil or criminal, the good faith of any person participating in the
18requirements of this section shall be presumed.
AB53-ASA1,9,20 19(11) The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section and may
20contract with an agency to administer this section.
AB53-ASA1, s. 4 21Section 4. 48.78 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB53-ASA1,9,2522 48.78 (2) (a) No agency may make available for inspection or disclose the
23contents of any record kept or information received about an individual in its care
24or legal custody, except as provided under s. 48.371, 48.38 (5) (b) or (d), 48.432,
2548.433, 48.434, 48.93 or 48.981 (7) or by order of the court.
AB53-ASA1, s. 5
1Section 5. 48.93 (1d) of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Act 27, is
2amended to read:
AB53-ASA1,10,63 48.93 (1d) All records and papers pertaining to an adoption proceeding shall
4be kept in a separate locked file and may not be disclosed except under sub. (1g) or
5(1r), s. 46.03 (29), 48.432, 48.433, 48.434, 48.48 (17) (a) 9. or 48.57 (1) (j), or by order
6of the court for good cause shown.
AB53-ASA1, s. 6 7Section 6. 69.15 (6) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB53-ASA1,10,168 69.15 (6) (b) The state registrar shall register a new certificate created under
9this section and shall impound the original certificate or the certificate registered
10under sub. (5) and all correspondence, affidavits, court orders and other related
11materials and prohibit access except by court order or except by the state registrar
12for processing purposes or except when authorized under ss. s. 48.432 and, 48.433
13or 48.434. The state registrar shall send a copy of any new certificate registered
14under this section to the local registrar who filed the original of the replaced
15certificate. Upon receipt of the copy, the local registrar shall destroy his or her copy
16of the replaced certificate and file the new certificate.
AB53-ASA1, s. 7 17Section 7. Nonstatutory provisions; health and family services.
AB53-ASA1,10,2418 (1) The authorized FTE positions for the department of health and family
19services are increased by 1.0 PR position, to be funded from the appropriation under
20section 20.435 (3) (jj) of the statutes, as affected by this act, for the purpose of
21performing searches for birth siblings, as defined in section 48.434 (1) (c) of the
22statutes, as created by this act, and birth parents, as defined in section 48.434 (1) (b)
23of the statutes, as created by this act, under section 48.434 (6) of the statutes, as
24created by this act.
AB53-ASA1, s. 8 25Section 8. Initial applicability.
AB53-ASA1,11,4
1(1) The treatment of section 48.434 of the statutes first applies to requests for
2access to identifying information about birth siblings, as defined in section 48.434
3(1) (c) of the statutes, as created by this act, that are received by the department of
4health and family services on the effective date of this subsection.
AB53-ASA1, s. 9 5Section 9. Effective date.
AB53-ASA1,11,76 (1) This act takes effect on January 1, 1998, or on the day after publication,
7whichever is later.
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