PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.NOS.
24982498, 3147 PRINTER'S NO.
31473323 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.
MILLER, HILL-EVANS, McNEILL, GUENST, SHUSTERMAN, MENTZER, SANCHEZ, VENKAT, CERRATO, PARKER, WATRO, KINSEY, MALAGARI, ROZZI, GALLAGHER, HARKINS, BOYD, PASHINSKI, DONAHUE, DEASY, STEELE, HANBIDGE, KENYATTA, GIRAL, BOROWSKI, STEHR, PROBST, HADDOCK, NEILSON, SCOTT, JANUARY 31, 2024KHAN, DELLOSO, GREEN, GILLEN AND FLEMING, AS REPORTEDAMENDED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH,SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ASJUNE AMENDED,12, MAY 21, 2024 AN ACT Amending the act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), entitled "An <-- act providing for the administration of a statewide system of vital statistics;
requiring reports and regulatingcertificates for the dispositionregistration of deadvital bodies;statistics;
limitingregulating the disclosuredisposition of records;dead bodies;
prescribinglimiting the sufficiency of vital statistics records as evidence;
prescribing fees andandf vital penalties;
and revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto," in records,general provisions, further providing for feesdefinitions; for copies.
AMENDINGand, THEin ACTrecords, OFfurther JUNEproviding 29,for 1953fees (P.L.304,for NO.66),copies. ENTITLED "AN <-- ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF A STATEWIDE SYSTEM OF VITAL STATISTICS;
PRESCRIBING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE STATE ADVISORY HEALTH BOARD AND LOCAL REGISTRARS;
IMPOSING DUTIES UPON CORONERS, PROTHONOTARIES, CLERKS OF ORPHANS' COURT, PHYSICIANS, MIDWIVES AND OTHER PERSONS;
REQUIRING REPORTS AND CERTIFICATES FOR THE REGISTRATION OF VITAL STATISTICS;
REGULATING THE DISPOSITION OF DEAD BODIES;
LIMITING THE DISCLOSURE OF RECORDS;
PRESCRIBING THE SUFFICIENCY OF VITAL STATISTICS RECORDS AS EVIDENCE;
PRESCRIBING FEES AND PENALTIES;
AND REVISING AND CONSOLIDATING THE LAWS RELATING THERETO," IN GENERAL PROVISIONS, FURTHER PROVIDING FOR DEFINITIONS;
AND, IN RECORDS, FURTHER PROVIDING FOR FEES FOR COPIES.
Section 807(c)105 introductory paragraph of the act of June 29, 1953 <-- (P.L.304, No.66), known as the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, is amended to read:
Section 105.
General Provisions:
Definitions.--As used in this act, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise-- * * * Section 2.
Section 807(c) of the act is amended and the section is amended by adding subsections to read:
Fees for Copies.--* * * (c)[(c) No fee shall be charged for certified copies of records or parts thereof furnished [members]members to:of the armed forces of the United States and their dependents during their term of active service and after their death in service or honorable discharge therefrom.] (d) Subject to subsection (e), no fee shall be charged for certified copies of records or parts thereof for any of the following:
(1) aAn memberindividual ofwho thecurrently armedserves forcesin of the United States [andArmed theirForces, dependents]including duringa [their]reserve thecomponent member'sor term of active service and after [their death in service or] the member'sNational honorableGuard. discharge therefrom[.];
and (2) theA surviving spouse and dependents of a member of the armedUnited forcesStates ofArmed theForces, Unitedincluding Statesa duringreserve acomponent termor ofthe activeNational serviceGuard, andwho afterwas thekilled member'sor death,dies whetherwhile oron notofficial induty service,status orauthorized theunder member'sFederal honorableor dischargeState therefrom.law.
Section(3) 2.A veteran.
(4) A spouse of an individual specified under paragraph (1), (2) or (3).
(5) A dependent of an individual specified under paragraph (1), (2) or (3).
This paragraph shall only apply to a request <-- made for a certified copy of a certificate of birth.
(e) The fee waiver under subsection (d) shall only apply to the following applicants for certified copies of records or 20240HB1963PN3323 - 2 - parts thereof:
(1) An applicant who is an individual specified under subsection (d)(1) or (3).
(2) An applicant who is a spouse of an individual specified under subsection (d)(1), (2) or (3).
(3) An applicant who is a representative of a dependent child of a deceased veteran or an individual specified under subsection (d)(2).
This paragraph shall only apply to a request made for a certified copy of a certificate of death.
(4) An applicant who is a representative of the estate of an individual specified under subsection (d)(1), (2), (3) or (4).
This paragraph shall only apply to a request made for a certified copy of a certificate of death.
(5) An applicant that is a funeral establishment responsible for filing the death record of an individual specified under subsection (d)(1), (2), (3) or (4), (4) OR (5).
This paragraph <-- shall only apply to a request made for a certified copy of a certificate of death.
(f) The fee waiver under subsection (d) shall apply regardless of whether an individual specified under subsection (d)(2) or (3) predeceased or survived any other individual who qualifies for the fee waiver.
(g) The fee waiver under subsection (d) shall apply to the first ten certified copies of the same record or parts thereof ISSUED BY, OR ON BEHALF OF, THE DEPARTMENT during a calendar <-- year for an applicant under subsection (e).
(h) As used in this section, the term "veteran" means an individual who served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component or the National Guard, and who was discharged or released from service under conditions other than 20240HB1963PN3323 - 3 - dishonorable.
Section 3.
SECTION20240HB1963PN3323 1.- 4 -
SECTION 105 INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH OF THE ACT OF <-- JUNE 29, 1953 (P.L.304, NO.66), KNOWN AS THE VITAL STATISTICS LAW OF 1953, IS AMENDED TO READ:
SECTION 105.
GENERAL PROVISIONS:
DEFINITIONS.--AS USED IN THIS ACT, THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES SHALL HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS SECTION UNLESS THE CONTEXT CLEARLY INDICATES OTHERWISE-- * * * SECTION 2.
SECTION 807(C) OF THE ACT IS AMENDED AND THE SECTION IS AMENDED BY ADDING SUBSECTIONS TO READ:
SECTION 807.
RECORDS:
FEES FOR COPIES.--* * * [(C) NO FEE SHALL BE CHARGED FOR CERTIFIED COPIES OF RECORDS OR PARTS THEREOF FURNISHED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE 20240HB1963PN3147 - 2 - UNITED STATES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS DURING THEIR TERM OF ACTIVE SERVICE AND AFTER THEIR DEATH IN SERVICE OR HONORABLE DISCHARGE THEREFROM.] (D) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (E), NO FEE SHALL BE CHARGED FOR CERTIFIED COPIES OF RECORDS OR PARTS THEREOF FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
(1) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CURRENTLY SERVES IN THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, INCLUDING A RESERVE COMPONENT OR THE NATIONAL GUARD.
(2) A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, INCLUDING A RESERVE COMPONENT OR THE NATIONAL GUARD, WHO WAS KILLED OR DIES WHILE ON OFFICIAL DUTY STATUS AUTHORIZED UNDER FEDERAL OR STATE LAW.
(3) A VETERAN.
(4) A SPOUSE OF AN INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1), (2) OR (3).
(5) A DEPENDENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1), (2) OR (3).
THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL ONLY APPLY TO A REQUEST MADE FOR A CERTIFIED COPY OF A CERTIFICATE OF BIRTH.
(E) THE FEE WAIVER UNDER SUBSECTION (D) SHALL ONLY APPLY TO THE FOLLOWING APPLICANTS FOR CERTIFIED COPIES OF RECORDS OR PARTS THEREOF:
(1) AN APPLICANT WHO IS AN INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIED UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(1) OR (3).
(2) AN APPLICANT WHO IS A SPOUSE OF AN INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIED UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(1), (2) OR (3).
(3) AN APPLICANT WHO IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF A DEPENDENT CHILD OF A DECEASED VETERAN OR AN INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIED UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(2).
THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL ONLY APPLY TO A REQUEST MADE FOR A CERTIFIED COPY OF A CERTIFICATE OF DEATH.
20240HB1963PN3147 - 3 - (4) AN APPLICANT WHO IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF AN INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIED UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(1), (2), (3) OR (4).
THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL ONLY APPLY TO A REQUEST MADE FOR A CERTIFIED COPY OF A CERTIFICATE OF DEATH.
(5) AN APPLICANT THAT IS A FUNERAL ESTABLISHMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR FILING THE DEATH RECORD OF AN INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIED UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(1), (2), (3) OR (4).
THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL ONLY APPLY TO A REQUEST MADE FOR A CERTIFIED COPY OF A CERTIFICATE OF DEATH.
(F) THE FEE WAIVER UNDER SUBSECTION (D) SHALL APPLY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIED UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(2) OR (3) PREDECEASED OR SURVIVED ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE FEE WAIVER.
(G) THE FEE WAIVER UNDER SUBSECTION (D) SHALL APPLY TO THE FIRST TEN CERTIFIED COPIES OF THE SAME RECORD OR PARTS THEREOF DURING A CALENDAR YEAR FOR AN APPLICANT UNDER SUBSECTION (E).
(H) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE TERM "VETERAN" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, INCLUDING A RESERVE COMPONENT OR THE NATIONAL GUARD, AND WHO WAS DISCHARGED OR RELEASED FROM SERVICE UNDER CONDITIONS OTHER THAN DISHONORABLE.
SECTION 3.
THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT IN 60 DAYS.
20240HB1963PN3147 - 4 -