House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Makes organizational changes to the act and to GS 48-9-107. Removes provisions authorizing the State Registrar to issue new adoptee birth certificates to county registers of deeds. Instead, directs the State Registrar to provide registers of deeds with access to adoptee birth certificates in the electronic birth registration system so that registers of deeds may issue certified copies or abstracts. Authorizes a register of deeds receiving a request for an adoptee birth certificate that has not been digitized to request the digitization of the record from the State Registrar. Requires the State Registrar to fulfill such requests within two business days. Prohibits registers of deeds from adding adoptee birth certificates to their files or indexes. Specifies that adoptee birth certificates are not open for public examination or inspection. Prevents the State Registrar from charging a fee to a register of deeds who issues an adoptee birth certificate. Requires registers of deeds and their staff who issue certified copies of adoptee birth certificates to complete initial and annual training as described. Prevents county registrars of their designees from issuing any adoptee birth certificates until the training is complete. Changes the effective date to January 1, 2026, and specifies that it would apply to adoptee birth certificates available in the electronic birth registration system or awaiting entry into the electronic birth registration system before, on, or after that date (was, effective October 1, 2025, and intended to apply to new birth certificates of persons adopted before, on, or after that date).

Instructs the State Registrar to have the initial training available by no later than November 1, 2025, and the annual training available by July 1, 2026. Requires registers of deeds to have completed the initial training by January 30, 2026.

Makes conforming and organizational change to GS 130A-99 (register of deeds to provide birth and death records) to account for changes to GS 48-9-107. Effective January 1, 2026.