---
type: "Bill"
title: "ADOPTION REGISTRY-GRANDPARENTS"
description: "Amends the Adoption Act. Defines \"birth grandparent\" as the biological parent of a non-surrendered person who is a deceased birth parent. Provides that a birth grandparent who has submitted birth certificates for himself or herself and for a deceased birth parent as well as proof of death for the deceased birth parent may file a Registration Identification Form and an Information Exchange Authorization or a Denial of Information Exchange if the birth parent did not file documentation preventing the exchange of information prior to his or her death. Makes corresponding changes."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "99th"
identifier: "HB 3967"
citation: "Illinois HB 3967 (99th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 35
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2015-02-27"
last_action: "2015-08-11"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/aa724e1d-febe-423e-b1f1-4c54c2818815"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3967&GAID=13&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=90182&SessionID=88&GA=99"
source_hash: "3e7cc4cfeaf78b315881991a1b3a6d8b5376c2a1b9f5cc1071ea00ef95c4d5c6"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 3967 (99th) — ADOPTION REGISTRY-GRANDPARENTS

Amends the Adoption Act. Defines "birth grandparent" as the biological parent of a non-surrendered person who is a deceased birth parent. Provides that a birth grandparent who has submitted birth certificates for himself or herself and for a deceased birth parent as well as proof of death for the deceased birth parent may file a Registration Identification Form and an Information Exchange Authorization or a Denial of Information Exchange if the birth parent did not file documentation preventing the exchange of information prior to his or her death. Makes corresponding changes.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB3967&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=90182&DocNum=3967&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB3967eng&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=90182&DocNum=3967&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB3967enr&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=90182&DocNum=3967&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **56–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **94–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Joe Sosnowski — primary (person)
- Martin A. Sandoval — cosponsor (person)
- Mattie Hunter — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2015-02-27** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Joe Sosnowski `filing`
- **2015-02-27** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2015-02-27** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-03-12** Assigned to Adoption Reform `referral-committee`
- **2015-03-19** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Joe Sosnowski `amendment-introduction`
- **2015-03-19** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-03-23** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Adoption Reform
- **2015-03-26** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Adoption Reform; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2015-03-26** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Adoption Reform; 005-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2015-03-26** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2015-04-22** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2015-04-22** Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2015-04-23** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2015-04-24** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 094-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2015-04-24** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sara Feigenholtz
- **2015-04-28** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2015-04-28** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading April 29, 2015 `reading-1`
- **2015-04-30** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Iris Y. Martinez
- **2015-05-05** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2015-05-05** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2015-05-06** Assigned to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2015-05-13** Do Pass Judiciary; 010-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2015-05-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 14, 2015
- **2015-05-13** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Patricia Van Pelt
- **2015-05-18** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2015-05-18** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 19, 2015
- **2015-05-18** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2015-05-20** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2015-05-20** Third Reading - Passed; 056-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2015-05-20** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Martin A. Sandoval
- **2015-05-20** Passed Both Houses
- **2015-06-18** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2015-08-11** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2015-08-11** Effective Date January 1, 2016
- **2015-08-11** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0345 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/aa724e1d-febe-423e-b1f1-4c54c2818815`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).