§578-14.5  Medical information on the
natural parents of the adopted minor child.  (a)  The department of health
shall prepare a standard form entitled, "medical information form",
for the purpose of perpetuating medical information on the natural parents of
the adopted minor child.  This form shall include a request for any information
relating to the adopted child's potential genetic or other inheritable diseases
or afflictions, including but not limited to known genetic disorders,
inheritable diseases, and similar medical histories, if known, of the parents
of the natural parents.  The department of health shall make these forms
available to all affected public agencies, all child placing organizations
approved by the department of human services under section 346-17, attorneys,
and other private individuals assisting the natural or adoptive parents in the
adoption process, and the family court.



(b)  All affected public agencies and all child
placing organizations approved by the department of human services under
section 346-17 shall make reasonable efforts to complete this form with medical
information on both natural parents, to obtain from the natural parents written
consent to the release of this information to or for the benefit of the adopted
child, and whenever possible, to obtain from the natural mother a signed
release to receive a copy of all of her medical records, relating to the birth
of the adopted child, which are within the possession of the hospital or other
facility at which the child was born.  When applicable, the family court may
require the petitioner or the petitioner's agent in the adoption proceeding to
obtain this completed form from the natural parents with their consents and the
signed release from the natural mother.



(c)  Whenever possible, a completed form with
the required information on each natural parent shall accompany any document,
to be filed with the family court, which requests the relinquishment,
termination, or divestiture of parental rights, as provided under sections
571-61 and 587-73(b)(3), and the petition for adoption under this chapter.  If
available, a copy of the hospital or other facility's medical records under
subsection (b) shall also accompany the document to be filed in the family
court.  This copy shall not be disseminated to the parties and shall be sealed
by the family court pending transmittal to the department of health.



(d)  For good cause shown, the family court may
waive the requirement in subsection (c).



(e)  If the natural parents have been court
ordered to complete the forms required in subsection (c) pursuant to section
587-71(n), and have either failed to complete the forms or have failed to
return the completed forms to the department of human services, the requirement
in subsection (c) shall be waived.



(f)  The completed forms shall be made a part
of the records of the department of health.



(g)  The completed forms and, if applicable,
the previously sealed copy of the natural mother's medical records shall be
forwarded to the department of health.  The department shall extract from the
medical records pertinent information relating to inheritable diseases and
genetic disorders and shall retain this information in an abstract.  The
completed forms and the abstract, if available, shall be included in the
department's adoption records.



(h)  An adopted child upon reaching the age of
majority, the adoptive parent, guardian, or custodian on behalf of a minor
adopted child, or an authorized designee of the adult adopted child or of the
minor's adoptive parent may file a written application with the department of
health for access to the information described in subsection (g).



(i)  Upon the filing of the application in
subsection (h), the department of health shall furnish the applicant with a copy
of the completed forms and, if available, the abstract of pertinent information
from the natural mother's medical records.  The department is authorized to
disclose the information under this subsection without prior court approval,
notwithstanding section 338-20(e).



Nothing in this section shall be construed or
applied in any manner to require any public agency or child placing
organization to reveal the identities of the natural parents without their
consents. [L 1988, c 274, §1; am L 1991, c 148, §§1, 2; am L 2001, c 67, §1]