State Legislators Advocate for Adoptees at Public Health Hearing

BOSTON (May 10, 2021) - Senator Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) and Representative Sean Garballey (D-Arlington) testified today to the Joint Committee on Public Health in support of their bill to grant equal access to original birth certificates to all persons born in Massachusetts. This legislation would remove "gap years" in the birth certificate access law, allowing all persons born or adopted in Massachusetts to access their original birth certificates.

Gobi spoke on the need for equity in the availability of these birth records at the hearing and had this to say afterwards, "The passage of this bill would open the path to reconciliation for so many adoptees in the Commonwealth who have been unable to access important information related to their birth and history. Closing this loophole is the first step in that process."

"I was proud to testify on this critical piece of legislation with my friend Senator Gobi," said Garballey. "The passage of this legislation is essential for adoptees across the Commonwealth. Adoptees in Massachusetts should be able to have their own vital records. We must pass this bill this session."

The bill, H.2294/S.1140, is important as the current law in the state denies the right to have a record of one's birth to adopted persons born in Massachusetts between July 18, 1974 and January 1, 2008. Following a practice that was common then, Massachusetts sealed adoption records from July 1974 until 2008 when they embraced the trend towards transparency and allowed adoptees to access their original certificates. The law change, however, only applied to those adoptees born before the records were sealed (July 1974) or after the law was passed (January 2008), creating a 32-year gap between that has left thousands of adopted people unable to access their original birth documents. The bills filed this session would amend the current law to remove date-based restrictions in providing original birth certificates to adult adoptees, creating a more equitable system for those who have struggled to obtain these important, life-affirming documents.

Jean Strauss, a filmmaker from East Brookfield who has documented adoption reform for thirty years, was one of the people who testified about the need for change. Strauss, whose film, ADOPTED: For the Life of Me aired on PBS, recalls "When I filmed the 'Opening Day' in 2007 when adoptees born on or before July 17, 1974 could request their record, witnessing citizens seeing their original identity for the first time was profoundly moving. But it was heartbreaking to know that anyone born after that specific date was not going to have the same right. Today was a huge step forward in providing equal access to ALL persons adopted in Massachusetts. Senator Gobi has provided amazing and tireless support of this effort."

For more information on the bill please contact Senator Gobi's office by email at Anne.Gobi@MAsenate.gov.

Mass. Bay Community College Failed to Address Recommendations to Improve Tracking of Valuable Property, Audit Finds

BOSTON (May 11, 2021) - In an audit released today, the Office of State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump (OSA) found Massachusetts Bay Community College (MBCC) has failed to take steps previously recommended by the office to improve the tracking of valuable college property. The audit also shows MBCC did not maintain an accurate inventory list of information technology (IT) equipment and could not substantiate that it conducted annual inventories of its IT equipment. The audit, which examined the period of July 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019, notes that as a result of these issues, MBCC cannot be certain that all of its IT equipment is accurately accounted for and safeguarded against misuse.

A previous audit issued in 2016 found that MBCC had not immediately reported to the OSA 10 missing or stolen items, totaling $12,720, as required by state law. At the time, OSA recommended that MBCC develop and implement policies, procedures and monitoring controls to ensure that all unaccounted-for funds or property were immediately reported. Today's audit shows MBCC still has not taken steps to address these issues.

"It is imperative that higher education institutions like Massachusetts Bay Community College have strong systems in place to accurately account for IT assets that faculty and staff rely on, especially at a time when reliance on technology has drastically increased as a result of COVID-19," Bump said of the audit. "Safeguarding these assets should be a priority for the institution moving forward, and I hope that this audit provides an opportunity for the college to enhance its protocols."

During the current audit, MBCC did not record the original purchase dates and costs for any of the 2,844 assets on its inventory list, and 534 of the assets were missing other key identifying information, such as the asset tag number, location, description and serial number. In addition, the college's IT inventory list was inaccurate. The audit found the information relative to 340 items in its inventory was duplicative in some way and 79 items (valued at $53,178) purchased during the audit period had not been added to the IT inventory list at all. Further, auditors noted some items were found in different locations from those listed on the inventory list and others had the wrong asset tag numbers recorded on the inventory list. In its response, MBCC indicated it was taking steps to resolve the issues.

Additionally, the audit showed that MBCC had not established a program to ensure that both new employees and system users received information security training. To lower the risks of cyberattacks, the audit urges the Community College to establish a training program for all employees.

MBCC is one of 15 public community colleges in Massachusetts, and serves approximately 6,000 full-time and part-time students for greater Boston and the Metrowest region. MBCC received approximately $21.1 million and $22.4 million from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, respectively.

The full audit report is available here.