Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, the duties as State Registrar relating to the uniform administration of provisions relating to vital records and health statistics. Existing law requires the State Registrar, local registrar, or county recorder, upon request and payment of the required fee, to supply to an applicant a certified copy of the record of a birth, fetal death, death, marriage, or marriage dissolution registered with the official.

This bill would require the local registrar, county recorder, or State Registrar to issue, without a fee, a certified record of live birth to any person who demonstrates that they are currently incarcerated in prison or a county correctional facility. The bill would authorize the incarcerated person, or any person who is lawfully entitled to request that record on behalf of an incarcerated person, to make that request. The bill would specify methods for verification of an individual’s incarcerated status, including, among other things, confirmation through a state or county “inmate locator” internet website. The bill would also require the department to develop an affidavit attesting to an applicant’s incarcerated status to be used by local registrars, county recorders, and the State Registrar.

By imposing a higher level of service on counties, the bill would impose 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.