The bill’s original wording would have had enormous impact to genealogists as well as to adoptees. It would have "locked up" virtually all information about California ancestry. Luckily, the final bill was changed; it mostly covers the penalties for people who use the information illegally. However, other language in the bill will still be an impediment to genealogists, such as the provision that mothers’ maiden names will be stripped from many records.

You can read more about this at the Mercury News Web site. The wording of the bill itself is available at the California Legislature’s website.

Comment: State Senator Jackie Speier and other legislators around the country really need to talk to computer security experts before writing ludicrous legislation. Any computer expert will tell you that banks and other institutions that use a mother’s maiden name as a security item have an incompetent security system. Maiden names are available in many places, not just in state records.

Any bank that has created a proper security system would never dream of using a mother’s maiden name as a "key." Computer security experts will always design better systems that do not rely on publicly-available information.

My bank does not rely on my mother’s maiden name for any purpose. I would not do business with a bank that did. Senator Speier and other legislators need to attack the real problem: incompetent bank security. Our institutions need to fix the real problem instead of "throwing the baby out with the bath water."

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