§338-20  Adoption.  (a)  In case of theadoption of any person born in the State, the department of health, uponreceipt of a properly certified copy of the adoption decree, or certifiedabstract thereof on a form approved by the department, shall prepare asupplementary certificate in the name of the adopted person, as fixed orchanged by the decree, and seal and file the original certificate of birth withthe certified copy attached thereto.

(b)  The registrar of births shall show on thesupplemental birth certificate the names of parents as stated in the adoptiondecree pursuant to section 578-14.

(c)  Any certified copy of final decree ofadoption, or abstract thereof, of persons born in the State, rendered by courtsof other states and territories subject to the jurisdiction of the UnitedStates, or courts of a foreign country, shall be considered properly certifiedwhen attested by the clerk of the court in which it was rendered with the sealof the court annexed, if there be a seal, together with a certificate of thepresiding judge, chancellor, or magistrate that the attestation is in due form.

(d)  If no original certificate of birth shallbe on file with the department, the department may require such evidence as itdeems necessary to establish the facts of birth before preparing asupplementary certificate in the new name of the adopted person; provided thatno such certificate shall be filed unless it shall be satisfactorilyestablished that the adopted person was born in the State.

(e)  The sealed documents may be opened by thedepartment only by an order of a court of record or when requested inaccordance with section 578-14.5 or 578-15.  Upon receipt of a certified copyof a court order setting aside a decree of adoption, the department shallrestore the original certificate to its original place in the files. [L 1949, c327, §24; RL 1955, §57-23; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §19; HRS §338-20; am L 1978, c50, §1; am L 1979, c 203, §2; am L 1980, c 153, §6 and c 232, §18; am L 1988, c274, §2; am L 1990, c 338, §2]