BILL ANALYSIS
By: Talton
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Under current law, the state registrar and local registrars charge fees for the issuance of certified birth and death records and it is unclear whether registrars may issue non-certified copies. Child fatality review teams must pay the fees when requesting such records, which can prevent some child fatality review teams from getting necessary information in a cost-efficient manner.
C.S.H.B. 378 amends existing law to allow non-certified copies of birth and death certificates to be issued to child fatality review teams free of charge.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 378 amends Section 191.0046, Health and Safety Code, by adding Subsection (d). The new section requires the state registrar to issue, without fee and upon request, a copy of a birth or death record that is not certified to a child fatality review team or the child fatality review team committee.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or , if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 378 modifies the original by removing the subsection that would allow law enforcement agencies and political subdivisions to receive certified copies of death or birth certificates. Furthermore, C.S.H.B. modifies the original by removing the provision that would allow local registrars to issue certified and non-certified birth or death records.