By:  Zaffirini                                         S.B. No. 267
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the certification of births and to birth certificates.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Section 192.003,  Health and Safety Code, is
    1-4  amended to read as follows:
    1-5        Sec. 192.003.  Birth Certificate Filed or Birth Reported.
    1-6  (a)  The physician, midwife, or person acting as a midwife in
    1-7  attendance at a birth shall file the birth certificate with the
    1-8  local registrar of the registration district in which the birth
    1-9  occurs.
   1-10        (b)  If a birth occurs in a hospital or birthing center, the
   1-11  hospital administrator, the birthing center administrator, or a
   1-12  designee of the appropriate administrator may file the birth
   1-13  certificate in lieu of a person listed by Subsection (a).
   1-14        (c)  If there is no physician, midwife, or person acting as a
   1-15  midwife in attendance at a birth and if the birth does not occur in
   1-16  a hospital or birthing center, the following in the order listed
   1-17  shall report the birth to the local registrar:
   1-18              (1)  the father or mother of the child; or
   1-19              (2)  the owner or householder of the premises where the
   1-20  birth occurs <if the birth does not occur in an institution, or the
   1-21  manager or superintendent of the institution in which the birth
   1-22  occurs>.
   1-23        (d) <(c)>  A person required to file a birth certificate or
   1-24  report a birth shall file the certificate or make the report not
    2-1  later than the fifth day after the date of the birth.
    2-2        SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 192.004, Health and
    2-3  Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
    2-4        (a)  The local registrar shall obtain the information
    2-5  necessary to prepare the birth certificate from the person
    2-6  reporting a birth or from another person with the required
    2-7  knowledge if:
    2-8              (1)  the birth is reported under Section 192.003(c)
    2-9  <192.003(b)>; or
   2-10              (2)  a person <physician, midwife, or person acting as
   2-11  a midwife>  who files a certificate under Section 192.003(a) or
   2-12  192.003(b) cannot by diligent inquiry obtain an item of information
   2-13  required for the certificate.
   2-14        SECTION 3.  Subsection (g), Section 81.090, Health and Safety
   2-15  Code, is repealed.
   2-16        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-17        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.