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00432
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THE·' A'l."'lI"ORNEY GENERAL
. . ···.·oFTEXAS
anAL))> C. ),1,ANN
.X;1(~~~X
ATTORNEY GENEIRAlr..
Han. GeCj). W. COX .()pinion No.p-S3~ .
State Health Officer .
.AU$tin~ ~~.)\:a;s. Re:.. May the CorOl of .birth certificate
. '". ,. of the Texlls .r)epartUlento£· Hejith
i"l: ,ina~optedcMld reveal two .
·mothers.if~he repol"tofadopti,9n
," .' fQrwa'l':del~ fro.n; a IHstrict Cou.rt
'hame$; t)voi.vo~enas having adopted
lOilidminor chHd? ,
.' We.al:e il):l'eceipt ofyo)l:r lettel:'of March Ill, which. reads as
follows:.
.."W e havethel'.~port .~f.an.adoption •in tlie 71st..Dis- .
. ~rictCourt.()fl;J.al"}'isori Co.\.Intynaming M.rs. Mamie M.
Mo()re ,afemesQle.'llnd Miss LillieMer:r.bache.l' ashav- .
ing.adoptedM.argal'et.i;li:r.ahethMcClurean,dotherchHd-
re·n.
"Unde.rtheadopti.on lawof),1ay 8. 1935, as affect,.
ing.theStateBllr~Il)i, ~l1e S;tate Registral'. is.reqllired to
r'emove the cel'tiflciite of Ilatlll'albil'thalldplace in its
stead a bil'th certi~it:ate £or the child shQwing the pli/.l'ents
• . by adoptiOn; '. .
"Yollrde.partmenthas ruled that the words 'by
" ·li/.dopt.ion~ s~Ql1.j;dnot be shown on the certificate, but that
. the names ofthfl.adopting pal'entS should be shown as.
the natuulpa.rents pf thet:htJd., The adopted form·of
bi!tll.certif.icate·fol:Texaf!P.l'ovidesfor but one, mother •
.~~. ifi't'ollQwing the liiwitappeaJ"s that in thlf! case the
~'ri1.eli -<>f tWo mt)thers must appear on the certificate •
.: . A coPy orthE!apopted fo.r,m of birth certificate is enclosed~
. Plejise}dvis~. ~st()how th~ ·1;>.itth certificate of this .child
:'. .. . .:
sho,wing'ilJl.Qeo. W. Cox. ,Aprill9. 1939. Page 2
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004.33
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" .. ;", )." , , ; .Any .idldt :re$).dellct o£~hi$ stllte. may petition theqi$"
trtct cOurt i.ntlle di$trict of hip residence or in the dis-trict
Cit thereSide:qee. qftliechjJd tobeadop-ted tor leave '-t$ adopt
·ami.norchi.ld;s:u:cli petition shaij setfQrth the flict rE!levari'
to petiti.One;rand chi.id.and ,be veri{ied by the amdliv~to£ the
petitioner.:aut~suchpetj.tiQnmade by married persons
skaU be, gr~nted unless thehU.sban:d:-~,q wife shall join there~
in.exc-eptfrtg whi!n sU,chpetitioner shall be. marriell to th¢
natura;J.father oi,m9the,r; then su-ch jpciner by such father ,or
l,:no±her shall. b.e unnecessary." . '
,. ..
,'Sa~dsectiOnproYid1:! stOi- the adopth;1n 01. a mbio.r cMl-d by. "any
adUJt. r.esident':\l£thiss:t;l.tE!;" Ii refers to thea.dQpte'q pllrty J.{e must join therein. ltdoesnot prO'\Tide.for
'Iljtij,nt
, .
adopti$of"a"
' .
mirii:l:r"21itldGther
. 't~:<~
'tIian thre, a feme sole. ind Miss
Lillie Merzbaclier as having Illl0p.ted Ma,rg1l-retEli;!Oabeth McClure and othe'r
children. ,; .
,Fti.rth-ermoriol. the-sux-estg'uidi? to ii ¢orredic;ollstruction (If a
statute is secured by as.certaming'th.e'purpase iis makers intended it
,Should accomplish:. Th'eGbjedof'the Texas Legislatu.re .in enacting the
,stilte 'sa4option statute was to secure for the adopted child a legal statu,s
.' whi-ch would most c1oselyapproximate that prnviGed by natural pa.rents and
the home of natarr mea.n~ tn hold that
pe.rSOns .other than husband and wife. might join, ii(;r,.f6 there
,anything jrI whaj; we sa.i.d le.