Section 3107.39 | Access to adoption records definitions.
As used in sections 3107.39 to 3107.44 of the Revised Code:
(A) "Adopted person" means a person who, as a minor, was adopted and who, prior to September 18, 1996, became available or potentially available for adoption. For the purpose of this division, a person was available or potentially available for adoption prior to September 18, 1996, if, prior to that date, either of the following occurred:
(1) At least one of the person's biological parents executed consent to person's adoption;
(2) A probate court entered a finding that the consent of at least one of the person's biological parents to the person's adoption was not needed as determined pursuant to section 3107.07 of the Revised Code.
(B) "Adopted sibling" means an adopted person who has a biological sibling.
(C) "Agency" means any public or private organization that is certified by the department of job and family services to place minors for adoption.
(D) "Biological parent" means a parent, by birth, of an adopted person.
(E) "Biological sibling" means a sibling, by birth, of an adopted person.
(F) "Effective release" means a release that is filed by a biological parent or biological sibling of an adopted person, and with respect to which a withdrawal of release has not been filed by that biological parent or biological sibling.
(G) "File of releases" means the file that is established by the department of health pursuant to division (C) of section 3107.40 of the Revised Code.
(H) "Final decree of adoption" includes an interlocutory order of adoption that has become final.
(I) "Identifying information" has the same meaning as in section 3107.01 of the Revised Code.
(J) "Offspring" means a child, by birth, of a person.
(K) "Petition for release of information" means the petition filed in a probate court in accordance with section 3107.41 of the Revised Code.
(L) "Release" means the form that is filed, pursuant to division (B) of section 3107.40 of the Revised Code, by a biological parent or biological sibling with the department of health and that contains the information, statement, and matter required by division (B)(3) of that section.
(M) "Withdrawal of release" means the form that is filed, pursuant to division (D) of section 3107.40 of the Revised Code, by a biological parent or biological sibling with the department of health and that contains the information, statement, and matter required by division (D)(3) of that section.
Available Versions of this Section
- July 1, 2000 – House Bill 471 - 123rd General Assembly [ View July 1, 2000 Version ]
- March 20, 2015 – Senate Bill 23 - 130th General Assembly [ View March 20, 2015 Version ]
- January 1, 2025 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View January 1, 2025 Version ]