North Carolina Sen. Lazzara’s adoptee birth certificate bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Sen. Michael A. Lazzara seeks to provide adoptees with birth certificates resembling those of non-adopted individuals, listing adoptive parents without adoption mention and protecting original records, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

In the House, 45 Democrats and 59 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 15 Democrats and 27 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Lazzara filed the bill in the North Carolina Senate on March 6 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as SB 248, was passed on June 4 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Birth Certificates for Persons Adopted.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that the State Registrar in North Carolina issue new birth certificates for adoptees, which resemble those of non-adopted individuals. These certificates will include the adoptee’s full adoptive name, sex, state, and date of birth, as well as the names of the adoptive parents without reference to the adoption. In stepparent adoptions, both the adoptive and biological parents will be listed unless a request is filed to maintain the original names. The original birth certificates will be sealed and replaced by these new documents, which are only accessible to designated family members. The bill becomes effective Oct. 1, 2025, and applies to all birth certificates of adopted individuals before, on, or after this date.

A related bill, HB 818, was also filed in the North Carolina House, introduced by Rep. Neal Jackson (and two others) on April 7, 2025.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Warren Daniel (Republican-46th District), Sen. Todd Johnson (Republican-35th District), and Sen. Michael A. Lazzara (Republican-6th District).

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Lazzara, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2021 to represent the state’s 6th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Harry Brown.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.