Ch. 290

1995 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(d)     "Father" means the man who is the [natural] BIRTH father of a child under
§ 5-310 of this subtitle.

(e)     "Guardianship" means guardianship with the right to consent to adoption or
long-term care short of adoption.

(f)      "Independent adoption" means an adoption in which the arrangement for
adoption is not made by a child placement agency.

(g)     "Minor parent" means a parent who, at the time of giving consent to
guardianship or adoption of the parent's child, is a minor.

(H) "NONIDENTIFYING INFORMATION" MEANS ANY INFORMATION THAT
DOES NOT REVEAL THE LOCATION OR IDENTITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL.

[(h)](I) "Placement for adoption" means the placement of a child to live with a
family or individual approved for adoption by a child placement agency, with the intent
that the child be adopted by the family or individual.

5-329.

(a)     (1) (I) ON REQUEST BY AN ADOPTED INDIVIDUAL OR BIRTH PARENT
OF AN ADOPTED ADULT, A CHILD PLACEMENT AGENCY SHALL PROVIDE ANY
MEDICAL OR NONIDENTIFYING INFORMATION . CONTAINED IN ITS ADOPTION
RECORDS WITHOUT THE SHOWING OF ANY NEED FOR THE MEDICAL OR
NONIDENTIFYING INFORMATION.

[(i)] (II) On petition by an adopted individual OR BIRTH PARENT OF
AN ADOPTED ADULT, a court shall order that part of a court record or [adoption]
CHILD PLACEMENT agency record containing medical OR NONIDENTIFYING
information be opened to inspection by the individual.

[(ii)](III) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, an
adopted individual OR BIRTH PARENT OF AN ADOPTED ADULT filing a petition under
subparagraph [(i)] (II) of this paragraph may not be required to make any particular
showing of need for the medical OR NONIDENTIFYING information.

(2) In the case of [an adoption] A CHILD PLACEMENT agency record, the
court may not grant the petition unless the [adoption] CHILD PLACEMENT agency has
refused to release the medical OR NONIDENTIFYING information.

(b)     The court may not order opened for inspection any part of a record that
contains any information that reveals the location or identity of the individual's [natural]
BIRTH parents.

(c)     (1) If neither the court record nor the [adoption] CHILD PLACEMENT
agency record contain needed medical information, on petition by an adopted individual,
a court may appoint an intermediary to attempt to establish contact with the adopted
individual's [natural] BIRTH parents in order to obtain the needed medical information.

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