SPRINGFIELD — A new law championed by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz will build on the success of Illinois’ confidential intermediary program, extending its reach to more members of the adoption community seeking family history.
“As an adoptee, I know how important it was to have information about the first chapter of my life,” said Feigenholtz (D-Chicago). “No matter how families are formed, everyone should have the right to know the first chapter of their story or the story of their adopted parents.”
Senate Bill 3706 was inspired in part by a constituent who learned their parent had been adopted just days before that parent passed away — a revelation that unlocked a whirlwind of emotions and a desire to trace their parent’s origins. The new law aims to ease what has often been an uphill battle to obtain those records, using the confidential intermediary process as the vehicle.
Bringing her own adoptee experience to the legislature, Feigenholtz has spent her tenure fighting to restore what she considers an inalienable right for adults whose birth records were sealed at adoption. In 2010, she passed the original birth certificate access law, making Illinois the largest state in the country to grant adopted adults access to their original birth certificates — a move that prompted many other states to follow suit. As of June 2026, Illinois has released more than 22,000 original birth certificates.
Since then, Feigenholtz’s office has continued fielding calls from relatives of adoptees hoping to learn more than what an original birth certificate reveals. The new law responds to that demand by expanding the confidential intermediary program to include the children and grandchildren of deceased adopted individuals, building on a system that has already proven effective for adults seeking their parents’ or grandparents’ histories.
“I’m still hearing about barriers faced by the adoption community to this day,” Feigenholtz added.
Senate Bill 3706 was signed into law Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1.
