H-2625.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1930

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Government Administration (originally sponsored by Representatives Chandler, Linville, D. Schmidt and Sheldon)

Read first time 03/05/97.

Restricting copying of birth certificates.

    AN ACT Relating to birth certificates; and adding a new section to chapter 70.58 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 70.58 RCW to read as follows:

    No person may prepare or issue any birth certificate that purports to be an original, certified copy, or copy of a birth certificate except as authorized in this chapter.

    The department shall adopt rules providing for the release of paper or electronic copies of birth certificate records that include adequate standards for security and confidentiality, assure the proper record is identified, and prevent fraudulent use of records.  All certified copies of birth certificates in the state must be on paper and in a format provided and approved by the department and must include security features to deter the alteration, counterfeiting, duplication, or simulation without ready detection.

    Federal, state, and local governmental agencies may, upon request and with submission of the appropriate fee, be furnished copies of birth certificates if the birth certificate will be used for the agencies' official duties.  The department may enter into agreements with offices of vital statistics outside the state for the transmission of copies of birth certificates to those offices when the birth certificates relate to residents of those jurisdictions and receipt of copies of birth certificates from those offices.  The agreement must specify the statistical and administrative purposes for which the birth certificates may be used and must provide instructions for the proper retention and disposition of the copies.  Copies of birth certificates that are received by the department from other offices of vital statistics outside the state must be handled as provided under the agreements.

    The department may disclose information that may identify any person named in any birth certificate record for research purposes as provided under chapter 42.48 RCW.

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