SENATE BILL REPORT

ESHB 1331

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Nealey, Rayburn, D. Sommers and Chandler)

Revising provisions for transmittal of vital statistics registrations.

House Committe on Local Government

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 22, 1988; February 24, 1988

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chairman; Zimmerman, Vice Chairman; DeJarnatt, Garrett, Halsan, Metcalf.

Senate Staff:Barbara Howard (786-7410)

                  February 25, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, FEBRUARY 24, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Local registrars of vital documents (local health officers) are authorized to issue official birth, death and fetal death certificates.

On or before the tenth of each month, local registrars must forward to the state registrar the original of each certificate registered in the preceding month.  The health officer of a first-class city can require filing of two original certificates and may retain one of the duplicate original certificates as the city record.

Certified copies of these certificates can be issued by the local registrar while the original is in the registrar's possession.  Thereafter, certified copies of these original certificates can be issued by the state registrar.

In 1987 the Legislature authorized a special "heirloom" birth certificate, to be issued by the state registrar for a fee of $25.  Except for administrative costs to the state registrar, receipts from the heirloom certificates are credited to children's trust fund under the jurisdiction of the Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

SUMMARY:

Original birth and death certificates must be transmitted to the state registrar no less than 25 nor more than 40 days after the event.  However, when requested by the state registrar the original certificate must be transferred immediately to the state registrar.

Local registrars in counties in which a first-class city or a city of 20,000 or more population is located may retain an exact copy of an original certificate and issue certified copies of that exact copy.

Fees imposed for heirloom birth certificates are exempt from the $3 amount credited to the death investigations account from fees for other vital records.

A corrected certified copy of a death certificate shall be issued at no cost if a certified copy of a death certificate has been issued containing information that differs from information on the original death certificate.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENTS:

The changes in the striking amendments:  (1) authorize issuance of an uncertified copy of a vital record for genealogical purposes at a fee of $8 for the state registrar or $6 for a local registrar; (2) increase the state and local fees for original copies from $11 to $12 and increases the amount set aside for the Death Investigations Account from $3 to $4; and (3) except the uncertified copies of death certificates from the set-aside for the Death Investigations Account.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      none requested

Senate Committee - Testified: Sharon George, Vital Records, DSHS (for)