By Coleman H.B. No. 761
Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to fees for copies of birth and death certificates.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 191.0045, Health and Safety Code is
1-5 amended by amending Subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g) and adding
1-6 Subsections (h) and (i) to read as follows:
1-7 (d) A local registrar who issues a certified copy of a birth
1-8 or death certificate shall charge the same fees as charged by the
1-9 bureau of vital statistics, including the additional fees [fee]
1-10 required under Subsections [Subsection] (e) and (h), except as
1-11 provided by Subsection (g).
1-12 (e) In addition to fees collected by the bureau of vital
1-13 statistics under Subsection (b), the bureau shall collect an
1-14 additional $4 [$2] fee for each of the following:
1-15 (1) issuing a certified copy of a certificate of
1-16 birth;
1-17 (2) issuing a wallet-sized certification of birth; and
1-18 (3) conducting a search for a certificate of birth.
1-19 (f) The fees collected under Subsection (e) shall be
1-20 deposited in the state treasury as follows:
1-21 (1) one-half to the credit of the work and family
1-22 policies fund. Money in the fund may be used only for the purposes
2-1 prescribed by Section 81.006(a), Labor Code; and
2-2 (2) one-half to the credit of the vital statistics
2-3 enhancement fund. Money in the fund may be used only for the
2-4 purposes described in Subsection (i).
2-5 (g) A local registrar that on March 31, 1995, was charging a
2-6 fee for the issuance of a certified copy of a birth certificate
2-7 that exceeded the fee charged by the bureau of vital statistics for
2-8 the same type of certificate may continue to do so but shall not
2-9 raise this fee until the fee charged by the bureau exceeds the fee
2-10 charged by the local registrar. A local registrar to which this
2-11 subsection applies shall charge the additional fees [fee] as
2-12 required under Subsections [Subsection] (e) and (h).
2-13 (h) In addition to fees collected by the bureau of vital
2-14 statistics under Subsections (b) and (e), the bureau shall collect
2-15 an additional $1 fee for issuing a certified copy of a death
2-16 certificate. The fees shall be deposited in the state treasury to
2-17 the credit of the vital statistics enhancement fund.
2-18 (i) The vital statistics enhancement fund is in the state
2-19 treasury. Money in the fund is derived from fees deposited as
2-20 required this Section, Section 191.022(f), Health and Safety Code,
2-21 and Section 118.015(b), Local Government Code, and may be used by
2-22 the bureau only for:
2-23 (1) improving the system for electronic reporting of
2-24 births;
2-25 (2) developing an electronic reporting system for
2-26 deaths in coordination with other states and the federal
3-1 government;
3-2 (3) developing a paperless reporting system for courts
3-3 of continuing jurisdiction by attorneys and district courts;
3-4 (4) coding birth and death records geographically to
3-5 report locational aspects of health outcomes;
3-6 (5) enhancing the department's automation of vital
3-7 records including electronic storage and retrieval, local registrar
3-8 access to information, and system support; and
3-9 (6) awarding grants to local registration offices for
3-10 enhancements to local systems.
3-11 SECTION 2. Subsection (f), Section 191.022, Health and
3-12 Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
3-13 (f) A local registrar who collects a fee for a certified
3-14 copy of a birth certificate shall deduct 40 [20] cents of that fee
3-15 to apply to the registrar's administrative costs and remit $3.60
3-16 [$1.80] of that fee to the comptroller for deposit in the work and
3-17 family policies fund and the vital statistics enhancement fund. A
3-18 local registrar who collects a fee for a certified copy of a death
3-19 certificate shall remit $1 of that fee to the comptroller for
3-20 deposit in the vital statistics enhancement fund.
3-21 SECTION 3. Subsection (b), Section 118.015, Local Government
3-22 Code, is amended to read as follows:
3-23 (b) A county clerk who collects a fee under this section for
3-24 a certified copy of a birth certificate shall deduct 40 [20] cents
3-25 of that fee to apply to the clerk's administrative costs and remit
3-26 $3.60 [$1.80] of that fee to the comptroller for deposit in the
4-1 work and family policies fund and the vital statistics enhancement
4-2 fund. A county clerk who collects a fee for a certified copy of a
4-3 death certificate shall remit $1 of that fee to the comptroller for
4-4 deposit in the vital statistics enhancement fund.
4-5 SECTION 4. This Act take effect on September 1, 2001.
4-6 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
4-7 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-8 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-9 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-10 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.