BILL REQ. #:  Z-0116.6 

Read first time 01/29/2003.   Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

     AN ACT Relating to fees for certified copies of vital records; and amending RCW 70.58.107.

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 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 dollars for the first copy of a death certificate and eight 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 dollars of each fee collected for the issuance of ((a certified copy)) birth certificates and first copies of death certificates and twelve dollars of each fee collected for additional copies of the same death certificate ordered at the same time as the first 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 dollars of the fees collected for birth certificates and first copies of death certificates and twelve dollars of the fee collected for additional copies of death certificates 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. Seven dollars of each fifteen-dollar fee collected for additional copies of death certificates issued by local registrars must be paid to the department of health for the purpose of developing and maintaining the state vital records systems, including a web-based electronic death registration system.