Sec. 07.02.13.05. Referrals of Registrants to the Confidential Intermediary

A. The Director shall refer the registrant for the Search, Contact, and Reunion Services Program to the child placement agency that handled the adoption if the agency is known and is a confidential intermediary.

B. If the child placement agency is unknown, the Director shall make reasonable efforts to determine the identity of the child placement agency that placed the child for adoption.

C. The Director shall have access to any birth record or public record as defined in State Government Article, §10-611, Annotated Code of Maryland, including a court record and the original birth records that relate to the new birth certificate of an adopted individual to determine the identity of the child placement agency that placed the child for adoption.

D. The Director may charge an individual who applies for the Search, Contact, and Reunion Services Program a reasonable fee for a search conducted to determine the child placement agency that placed the child for adoption if the identity of the agency is unknown. The overall amount of fees collected for the search for the child placement agency may not exceed the cost of providing the search. A fee is not required from a registrant whose gross income is at or below the federal poverty level.

E. If the Director cannot determine the name of the child placement agency or if there was not an agency involved with the adoption, the Director shall provide search services or the list of confidential intermediaries to the registrant.