Bill Text: CT HB05733 | 2013 | General Assembly | Comm Sub

Connecticut House Bill 5733 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: An Act Concerning Access To Death Certificates.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-22 - File Number 585 [HB05733 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2013-HB05733-Comm_Sub.html

General Assembly		*Substitute Bill No. 5733*
*January Session, 2013*		_____HB05733PH____040513____

AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO DEATH CERTIFICATES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 7-51a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):

(a) Any person eighteen years of age or older may purchase (1) certified copies of marriage [and death] records, and (2) certified copies of death records and records of births or fetal deaths [which] that are at least one hundred years old, in the custody of any registrar of vital statistics. The department may issue [uncertified copies of death certificates for deaths occurring less than one hundred years ago, and] uncertified copies of birth, marriage, death and fetal death certificates for births, marriages, deaths and fetal deaths that occurred at least one hundred years [ago] prior to the date of issuance, to researchers approved by the department pursuant to section 19a-25, and to state and federal agencies approved by the department. During all normal business hours, members of genealogical societies incorporated or authorized by the Secretary of the State to do business or conduct affairs in this state shall [(1)] (A) have full access to all vital records in the custody of any registrar of vital statistics, including certificates, ledgers, record books, card files, indexes and database printouts, except for those records containing Social Security numbers protected pursuant to 42 USC 405 (c)(2)(C), and confidential files on adoptions, gender change, gestational agreements and paternity, [(2)] (B) be permitted to make notes from such records, [(3)] (C) be permitted to purchase certified copies of such records, and [(4)] (D) be permitted to incorporate statistics derived from such records in the publications of such genealogical societies. For all vital records containing Social Security numbers that are protected from disclosure pursuant to federal law, the Social Security numbers contained on such records shall be redacted from any certified copy of such records issued to a genealogist by a registrar of vital statistics.

(b) For marriage and civil union licenses, the Social Security numbers of the parties to the marriage or civil union shall be recorded in the "administrative purposes" section of the marriage or civil union license and the application for such license. All persons specified on the license, including the parties to the marriage or civil union, officiator and local registrar shall have access to the Social Security numbers specified on the marriage or civil union license and the application for such license for the purpose of processing the license. Only the parties to a marriage or civil union, or entities authorized by state or federal law, may receive a certified copy of a marriage or civil union license with the Social Security numbers included on the license. Any other individual, researcher or state or federal agency requesting a certified or uncertified copy of any marriage or civil union license in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be provided such copy with such Social Security numbers removed or redacted, or with the "administrative purposes" section omitted.

(c) (1) For deaths occurring after December 31, 2001, the Social Security number, occupation, business or industry, race, Hispanic origin if applicable, and educational level of the deceased person, if known, shall be recorded in the "administrative purposes" section of the death certificate. All parties specified on the certificate, including the informant, licensed funeral director, licensed embalmer, conservator, surviving spouse, physician and town clerk, shall have access to the Social Security numbers of the decedent as well as other information contained in the "administrative purposes" section specified on the original death certificate for the purpose of processing the certificate.

(2) For any death occurring after July 1, 1997, only the surviving spouse, next of kin or state and federal agencies authorized by federal law may receive a certified copy of a death certificate with the decedent's Social Security number or the complete "administrative purposes" section included on the certificate. Any researcher requesting a death certificate for a death occurring after July 1, 1997, may obtain the information included in the "administrative purposes" section of such certificate, except that the decedent's Social Security number shall be redacted.

(3) For any death occurring less than one hundred years prior to the date of a request for a copy of a death certificate pursuant to this subsection, the registrar of vital statistics of the town in which the death occurred, the registrar of vital statistics of the town of residence of the decedent or the Department of Public Health, upon request of a person, other than a person listed in subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection or any other person who demonstrates that information contained in the death certificate is needed for the determination or protection of a personal or property right, shall issue a certificate of death registration that shall contain the name, gender, date of death of the decedent, cause of death and the town in which the death occurred and such person shall not have access to any other information contained in the death certificate.

(d) The registrar of vital statistics of any town or city in this state that has access to an electronic vital records system, as authorized by the department, may use such system to issue certified copies of birth, death, fetal death or marriage certificates, or certificates of death registration that are electronically filed in such system.

Sec. 2. Section 7-74 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):

(a) The fee for a certification of birth registration, short form, shall be fifteen dollars. The fee for a certified copy of a certificate of birth, long form, shall be twenty dollars, except that the fee for such certifications and copies when issued by the department shall be thirty dollars.

(b) The fee for a certified copy of a certificate of marriage or death shall be twenty dollars. The fee for a certificate of death registration shall be fifteen dollars. Such fees shall not be required of the department.

(c) The fee for one certified copy of a certificate of death for any deceased person who was a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, shall be waived when such copy is requested by a spouse, child or parent of such deceased veteran.