PRINTER'S NO. 3818
No. 2567 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY DALLY, CURRY, BEAR, BRENNAN, CAPPELLI, CARROLL,
CREIGHTON, DENLINGER, FREEMAN, GEIST, GINGRICH, GRUCELA,
HARRIS, KOTIK, R. MILLER, MOUL, MUSTIO, NICKOL, ROCK, SAYLOR,
SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, STERN AND SWANGER, MAY 27, 2008
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 27, 2008
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), entitled "An
2 act providing for the administration of a statewide system of
3 vital statistics; prescribing the functions of the State
4 Department of Health, the State Advisory Health Board and
5 local registrars; imposing duties upon coroners,
6 prothonotaries, clerks of orphans' court, physicians,
7 midwives and other persons; requiring reports and
8 certificates for the registration of vital statistics;
9 regulating the disposition of dead bodies; limiting the
10 disclosure of records; prescribing the sufficiency of vital
11 statistics records as evidence; prescribing fees and
12 penalties; and revising and consolidating the laws relating
13 thereto," providing for electronic signatures; and further
14 providing for records.
15 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16 hereby enacts as follows:
17 Section 1. The act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), known
18 as the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, is amended by adding a
19 section to read:
20 Section 204.1. Electronic Signatures.--The department shall
21 provide for an electronic means of filing a death certificate
22 and for receiving an electronic signature by a local registrar
23 for the purpose of filing a death certificate.
1 Section 2. Section 303 of the act, amended October 27, 2006
2 (P.L.1200, No.129), is amended to read:
3 Section 303. Registration Districts: Local Registrars'
4 Duties.--Local registrars shall perform the duties imposed upon
5 them by this act, under and subject to the supervision of the
6 department. Local registrars shall transmit certificates and
7 transcripts to such places and at such times as shall be
8 prescribed by the department. [and shall transmit, for a person
9 who was at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of
10 death, a copy of the death certificate to the county board of
11 elections of the county in which the person resided at the time
12 of death.] Upon written request by the local registrar, the
13 department may authorize a local registrar to complete and sign
14 a death certificate by electronic means for the purpose of
15 filing a death certificate.
16 Section 3. Section 801.1 of the act, amended November 23,
17 2004 (P.L.909, No.122), is amended to read:
18 Section 801.1. Records: Reports to County Registration
19 Commissions.--The department shall [report monthly in writing]
20 transmit monthly to the registration commission of each county
21 an electronic file containing information on the deaths of
22 residents of such counties, except residents less than eighteen
23 years of age, for the preceding month. Said report shall contain
24 the full name of the decedent, his or her last address, the date
25 of his or her birth if available, and the date of his or her
26 death.
27 Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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