Z-0130.3  _______________________________________________

 

                         SENATE BILL 5201

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

 

By Senators Thibaudeau and Deccio; by request of Department of Health

 

Read first time 01/15/1999.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Increasing fees for the production of certain records.


    AN ACT Relating to vital statistics; amending RCW 70.58.107; adding a new section to chapter 70.58 RCW; repealing RCW 70.58.107; and providing an effective date.

 

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

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 70.58.107 and 1997 c 223 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    The department of health shall charge a fee of ((thirteen)) fifteen dollars for certified copies of records and for copies or information provided for research, statistical, or administrative purposes, and ((eight)) ten dollars for a search of the files or records when no copy is made.  The department shall prescribe by regulation fees to be paid for preparing sealed files and for opening sealed files.

    No fee may be demanded or required for furnishing certified copies of a birth, death, fetal death, marriage, divorce, annulment, or legal separation record for use in connection with a claim for compensation or pension pending before the veterans administration.

    The department shall keep a true and correct account of all fees received and turn the fees over to the state treasurer on a weekly basis.

    Local registrars shall charge the same fees as the state as hereinabove provided and as prescribed by department regulation, except that local registrars shall charge ((thirteen)) fifteen dollars for the first copy of a death certificate and ((eight)) ten dollars for each additional copy of the same death certificate when the additional copies are ordered at the same time as the first copy.  All such fees collected, except for ((five)) six dollars of each fee for the issuance of a certified copy, shall be paid to the jurisdictional health department.

    All local registrars in cities and counties shall keep a true and correct account of all fees received under this section for the issuance of certified copies and shall turn ((five)) six dollars of the fee over to the state treasurer on or before the first day of January, April, July, and October.

    Five dollars of each fee imposed for the issuance of certified copies, except for copies suitable for display issued under RCW 70.58.085, at both the state and local levels shall be held by the state treasurer in the death investigations' account established by RCW 43.79.445.  One dollar of each fee imposed for the issuance of certified copies, except for copies suitable for display issued under RCW 70.58.085, at local levels shall be held by the state treasurer for remittance to the department.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 70.58 RCW to read as follows:

    The state board of health shall adopt by rule the fees charged by the department and local registrars for copies of vital records, including certified copies, for searches of records where no copy is made, and for preparing and opening sealed files.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  RCW 70.58.107 and 1999 c ... s 1 (section 1 of this act), 1997 c 223 s 1, 1991 c 3 s 343, 1988 c 40 s 1, & 1987 c 223 s 3 are each repealed, effective July 1, 2001.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  Section 2 of this act takes effect July 1, 2001.  The state board of health may take necessary steps to ensure that section 2 of this act is implemented on its effective date.

 


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