Ohio § 3107.17

§ 3107.17.

(A) All hearings held under sections 3107.01 to 3107.19 of the Revised Code shall be held in closed court without the admittance of any person other than essential

officers of the court, the parties, the witnesses of the parties, counsel, persons

who have not previously consented to an adoption but who are required to consent,

representatives of the agencies present to perform their official duties, and any

other persons the court deems appropriate. (B)(1) Except as provided in divisions (B)(2) and (D) of this section, sections 3107.38 and 3107.381 , and sections 3107.60 to 3107.68 of the Revised Code , no person or governmental entity shall knowingly reveal any information contained

in a paper, book, or record pertaining to an adoption that is part of the permanent

record of a court or maintained by the department of children and youth, an agency,

or attorney without the consent of a court. (2) An agency or attorney may examine the agency's or attorney's own papers, books, and

records pertaining to an adoption without a court's consent for official administrative

purposes.  The department of children and youth may examine its own papers, books, and records

pertaining to an adoption, or such papers, books, and records of an agency, without

a court's consent for official administrative, certification, and eligibility determination

purposes. (C) The petition, the interlocutory order, the final decree of adoption, and other adoption

proceedings shall be recorded in a book or by other electronic means and kept for

such purposes and shall be separately indexed.  The book or electronic record shall be a part of the records of the court, and all

consents, affidavits, and other papers shall be properly filed. (D) All forms that pertain to the social or medical histories of the biological parents

of an adopted person and that were completed pursuant to section 3107.09 , 3107.091 , or 3107.393 of the Revised Code shall be filed only in the permanent record kept by the court.  During the minority of the adopted person, only the adoptive parents of the person

may inspect the forms.  When an adopted person reaches majority, only the adopted person may inspect the

forms.  Under the circumstances described in this division, an adopted person or the adoptive

parents are entitled to inspect the forms upon requesting the clerk of the court to

produce them. (E)(1) The department of children and youth shall prescribe a form that permits any person

who is authorized by division (D) of this section to inspect forms that pertain to

the social or medical histories of the biological parents and that were completed

pursuant to section 3107.09 , 3107.091 , or 3107.393 of the Revised Code to request notice if any correction or expansion of either such history, made pursuant

to division (D) of section 3107.09 of the Revised Code , is made a part of the permanent record kept by the court.  The form shall be designed to facilitate the provision of the information and statements

described in division (E)(3) of this section.  The department shall provide copies of the form to each court.  A court shall provide a copy of the request form to each adoptive parent when a

final decree of adoption is entered and shall explain to each adoptive parent at that

time that an adoptive parent who completes and files the form will be notified of

any correction or expansion of either the social or medical history of the biological

parents of the adopted person made during the minority of the adopted person that

is made a part of the permanent record kept by the court, and that, during the adopted

person's minority, the adopted person may inspect the forms that pertain to those

histories.  Upon request, the court also shall provide a copy of the request form to any adoptive

parent during the minority of the adopted person and to an adopted person who has

reached the age of majority. (2) Any person who is authorized to inspect forms pursuant to division (D) of this section

who wishes to be notified of corrections or expansions pursuant to division (D) of section 3107.09 of the Revised Code that are made a part of the permanent record kept by the court shall file with the

court, on a copy of the form prescribed by the department of children and youth pursuant

to division (E)(1) of this section, a request for such notification that contains

the information and statements required by division (E)(3) of this section.  A request may be filed at any time if the person who files the request is authorized

at that time to inspect forms that pertain to the social or medical histories. (3) A request for notification as described in division (E)(2) of this section shall

contain all of the following information: (a) The adopted person's name and mailing address at that time; (b) The name of each adoptive parent, and if the adoptive person is a minor at the time

of the filing of the request, the mailing address of each adoptive parent at that

time; (c) The adopted person's date of birth; (d) The date of entry of the final decree of adoption; (e) A statement requesting the court to notify the person who files the request, at the

address provided in the request, if any correction or expansion of either the social

or medical history of the biological parents is made a part of the permanent record

kept by the court; (f) A statement that the person who files the request is authorized, at the time of the

filing, to inspect the forms that pertain to the social and medical histories of the

biological parents; (g) The signature of the person who files the request. (4) Upon the filing of a request for notification in accordance with division (E)(2)

of this section, the clerk of the court in which it is filed immediately shall insert

the request in the permanent record of the case.  A person who has filed the request and who wishes to update it with respect to a

new mailing address may inform the court in writing of the new address.  Upon its receipt, the court promptly shall insert the new address into the permanent

record by attaching it to the request.  Thereafter, any notification described in this division shall be sent to the new

address. (5) Whenever a social or medical history of a biological parent is corrected or expanded

and the correction or expansion is made a part of the permanent record kept by the

court, the court shall ascertain whether a request for notification has been filed

in accordance with division (E)(2) of this section.  If such a request has been filed, the court shall determine whether, at that time,

the person who filed the request is authorized, under division (D) of this section,

to inspect the forms that pertain to the social or medical history of the biological

parents.  If the court determines that the person who filed the request is so authorized,

it immediately shall notify the person that the social or medical history has been

corrected or expanded, that it has been made a part of the permanent record kept by

the court, and that the forms that pertain to the records may be inspected in accordance

with division (D) of this section.