State registry of adoption information; duty to inform and explain.

Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the department shall maintain a registry with the last known names and addresses of an adoptee and his or her parents whose consent was required under s. 63.062, and adoptive parents and any other identifying information that the adoptee, parents whose consent was required under s. 63.062, or adoptive parents desire to include in the registry. The department shall maintain the registry records for the time required by rules adopted by the department in accordance with this chapter or for 99 years, whichever period is greater. The registry shall be open with respect to all adoptions in the state, regardless of when they took place. The registry shall be available for those persons choosing to enter information therein, but no one shall be required to do so.

(1) Anyone seeking to enter, change, or use information in the registry, or any agent of such person, shall present verification of his or her identity and, if applicable, his or her authority. A person who enters information in the registry shall be required to indicate clearly the persons to whom he or she is consenting to release this information, which persons shall be limited to the adoptee and the birth mother, father whose consent was required under s. 63.062, adoptive mother, adoptive father, birth siblings, and maternal and paternal birth grandparents of the adoptee. Except as provided in this section, information in the registry is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1). Consent to the release of this information may be made in the case of a minor adoptee by his or her adoptive parents or by the court after a showing of good cause. At any time, any person may withdraw, limit, or otherwise restrict consent to release information by notifying the department in writing.

(2) The department may charge a reasonable fee to any person seeking to enter, change, or use information in the registry. The department shall deposit such fees in a trust fund to be used by the department only for the efficient administration of this section. The department and agencies shall make counseling available for a fee to all persons seeking to use the registry, and the department shall inform all affected persons of the availability of such counseling.

(3) The adoption entity must inform the parents before parental rights are terminated, and the adoptive parents before placement, in writing, of the existence and purpose of the registry established under this section, but failure to do so does not affect the validity of any proceeding under this chapter.