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Yesterday, Senate Bill 927, authored by Senator Steven Choi, Ph.D. (R-Irvine), passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with unanimous bipartisan support. The measure addresses a long-standing gap in state law by providing a pathway for adult foreign adoptees to finalize their adoption and obtain critical legal documentation.
SB 927 allows adults whose intercountry adoptions were never finalized during childhood to petition the court for readoption, enabling them to receive a delayed registration of birth and proof of their legal status in California.
“SB 927 is about fairness and dignity,” said Senator Steven Choi. “For decades, thousands of individuals who were raised in American families have been left without the legal documentation they need due to circumstances beyond their control. This bill provides a long-overdue remedy and ensures they can finally secure recognition under the law.”
Although prior legislation required adoptive parents or agencies to finalize adoptions before a child turned 16, no remedy existed for those who were adopted years ago and entered adulthood without proper documentation. As a result, some adoptees have faced severe consequences, including the risk of deportation to countries they do not remember.
The bill now advances to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration.