Vital Statistics Review, Issue 1, Spring 2011 Page: 2
7 pages : illustrationsView a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
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VSU is often asked if
someone can come and
take pictures of the birth and
death certificates that have
become open records. The
answer is no. If someone
wants to obtain an image of
a record, the person must fill
out an application for each
record and pay for a certified
copy of each record.
In 1992, Senator John
Whitmire asked the Office
of Attorney General whether
the San Antonio Metropolitan
Health District might limit
public access to and charge
a search fee for locating birth
and death records that are
public by the Opens Records
Act.
In the summary of his opin-
ion, Attorney General Mo-
rales states, "The San Anto-
nio Municipal Health District
Registrar of Vital Statistics, a
local registrar under section
191.022 of the Health and
Safety Code, cannot allowWhat you
need to know about
Open Records
Requests to take pictures of
open records are on the rise...
Here are a few thingsto re
inspection of original birth re-
cords over [75] years old and
death records over 25 years.
While such records are not
excepted from disclosure
under the Open Records Act,
the local registrar is required
to provide copies and to
charge a fee, by virtue of the
Health and Safety Code, title
3, which governs vital statis-
tics records, and regulations
and instructions pro-
mulgated there un- "
der, 25 T.A.C. ch. tryin
181; Bureau of Vital of a r
Statistics Manual for to id
Local Registrars."
Attorney General Morales
states in this opinion that:
"Pursuant to his authority
under section 191.004 of
the Health and Safety Code,
the state registrar has issued
the Bureau of Vital Statistics
Manual for Local Registrars
(hereinafter"Manual) which
governs the accessibility of
vital statistics records in themember
hands of local registrars. It
provides in pertinent part:
An individual requesting
records which fall under the
open records act must iden-
tify the record requested. No
reason for the request need
be presented. However, they
must give enough informa-
tion in order for the record
to be properly searched
and identi-4 person who is
g to obtain a copy
ecord would need
Jentify the recordfied. Just
because
the record
falls underin writing." the open
records
act does NOT mean that
the books themselves are
open for persons to thumb
through. The Registrar is
still responsible for the in-
tegrity and preservation of
the record. Once the record
is located, a plain copy or
certified copy will be made
and given to the individual
making the request...
Standard fees shall be
age b
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Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas. Department of State Health Services. Vital Statistics Review, Issue 1, Spring 2011, periodical, Spring 2011; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth578516/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.