H244 • 2025

An Act relative to the family medical history of adopted children

Children Healthcare

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Giannino, Jessica Ann
Last action: 2025-10-29
Official status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to the family medical history of adopted children

An Act relative to the family medical history of adopted children By Representatives Giannino of Revere and Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act relative to the family medical history of adopted children By Representatives Giannino of Revere and Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
244) of Jessica Ann Giannino, Sean Garballey and Paul J.
Donato relative to the family medical history of adopted children.
Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2025-10-29 House
Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
2025-07-22 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 07/22/2025 from 01:00 PM-03:15 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2025-07-11 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 07/22/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to the family medical history of adopted children
By Representatives Giannino of Revere and Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 244) of Jessica Ann Giannino, Sean Garballey and Paul J. Donato relative to the family medical history of adopted children. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

×

Bill H.244

SECTION 1. Chapter 210 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2 the following section:-

Section 21⁄2. (a) For the purposes of this section “placement agency” shall mean a department, agency or institution of the commonwealth, or any political subdivision thereof, or any organization incorporated under chapter 180, 1 of whose principal purposes is providing custodial care and social services to children, which receives by agreement with a parent or guardian, by contract with a state agency or as a result of referral by a court of competent jurisdiction, any child under the age of 18 years of age for placement in adoption.

(b) Any placement agency that receives written consent for adoption required by section 2 from a biological parent shall provide the biological parent with an anonymous family medical history form and encourage the biological parent to complete the form to the best of their knowledge. The anonymous family medical history form shall include, but not be limited to: (i) any known genetic predispositions and health conditions of the parent and (ii) any known genetic predispositions and health conditions of the parent’s relatives within 2 degrees of consanguinity. No placement agency shall require the completion of the form as a condition of acceptance of written consent for adoption required by the section 2.(c) Upon the adoption of any child whose biological parent completed an anonymous family medical history form, the placement agency shall provide the form to the child’s adoptive parent. Any information about the biological parents included in the anonymous family medical history form shall not identify or tend to lead to the identification of the biological parents or their present or former locations. No prospective adoptive parent shall have access to the anonymous medical history form completed by a child’s biological parent prior to the child’s adoption.

SECTION 2. This act shall be known as “Patricia and Francesca's Law”.

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

Close