(2) The department shall adopt rules providing for the release of paper or electronic copies of vital records that include adequate standards for security and confidentiality, ensure the proper record is identified, and prevent fraudulent use of records. All certified copies of vital records 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.

(a) The department must establish rules regarding the content and release of an abbreviated death certificate that may be requested from a state or local registrar. The abbreviated death certificate must include identifying information and information related to the fact of death, but not include the following: (i) Information related to the cause of the person's death; (ii) social security numbers; or (iii) names of the decedent's parents.

(b) In any instance in which a death certificate must be provided to a government agency and the cause of death is not material to the filing, an abbreviated death certificate may be used and a government agency must recognize the abbreviated death certificate as having the full effect of a complete death certificate.

(c) All paper and online forms for requesting the release of an abbreviated death certificate must include a notice stating that the certificate might not contain sufficient information for all purposes.

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

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