AB 659

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law prescribes specified personal information to be included on birth, death, and marriage certificates. Under existing law, a certified copy of a birth, death, marriage, or military service record may only be supplied by the State Registrar, local registrar, or county recorder to an authorized person, as defined, who submits a statement sworn under penalty of perjury that the applicant is an authorized person. Under existing law, an "authorized person" for these purposes includes a child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant. Under existing law, every local registrar, deputy registrar, or subregistrar who fails, neglects, or refuses to perform his or her duty as required by law and by the instructions and directions of the State Registrar is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would require, if a request for a certified copy of a birth, death, or marriage record is made in person, that the requester produce government-issued photo identification, in addition to the existing requirement of a statement sworn under penalty of perjury. The bill also would specify that a child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of a registrant, who requests a certified copy of a registrant's birth, death, or marriage record, must be an adult or emancipated minor in order to satisfy the definition of an authorized person for that purpose. By imposing new duties on local officials, and by changing the definition of a crime, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.