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Archiver > CASANFRA > 2004-10 > 1097017939


From: Judie Cook <>
Subject: Fwd: [Bklyn] Re: Access to Birth Certificates/U.S. Congress
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 19:12:19 -0400


Here is additional information on this bill, including finding your
representative's address.

Begin forwarded message:

> Resent-From:
> From: Joy Rich <>
> Date: October 5, 2004 3:11:00 PM EDT
> To:
> Subject: [Bklyn] Re: Access to Birth Certificates/U.S. Congress
>
> Mary D. Taffet has provided this direct link to information about the
> bill. The colon at the end of the URL is part of the URL.
>
> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00010:
>
> Joy
>
> Joy Rich <> wrote:
> YOUR ACTION IS REQUESTED NOW as U.S. House Resolution 10, which may
> severely restrict access to birth information, is on the pre-election
> fast track. (As this is a specifically U.S. legislative issue, action
> is only requested of U.S. residents.)
>
> The U.S. Congress is currently considering a bill that may result in
> significant difficulty for our members in obtaining birth certificates
> from the various States and localities. You need to contact your
> representatives, and encourage your members to contact their
> representatives, recommending specific modifications to the bill.
> These modifications will not negate the intention of the bill, but
> will make it less likely that the unintended result will be severe
> restrictions on obtaining birth certificates for genealogical
> research.
>
> H.R. 10 (House Resolution 10), whose purpose is to respond to the
> threat of terrorism, is on the fast track to passage. It was
> introduced on September 24th. Four or more House committees approved
> this bill on Friday. More may have done so today. It is being
> sponsored by a wide array of House leaders, led by the speaker of the
> House, Mr. Hastart, and will be pushed hard so that it can be signed
> by the President prior to the election.
>
> This bill covers a lot of ground in its 542 pages. However the
> specific portions that I wish to bring to your intention are its
> provisions regarding requirements on the States and localities to
> tighten access to birth certificates. So long as this only focuses on
> CERTIFIED birth certificates, this should not greatly impact our
> research. However, the wording is sufficiently broad so that States
> and localities, in complying with the bill's provisions, may equally
> restrict both CERTIFIED and NON-CERTIFIED birth certificates, severely
> impacting genealogical research.
>
> International Association of Genealogical Societies, Genealogical
> Society of Utah, FGS, and NGS have joined in opposition to the bill as
> it currently stands. Send a letter to your representative, letting
> him/her know of your concern with the bill and recommending changes to
> address this issue. Given the tight timing, fax or e-mail to your
> representative and Speaker Hastart and immediately follow this up by
> mailing handwritten or typewritten letters. The information below may
> help you in doing this:
>
> 1) How do I find out the name and contact information for my
> representative?
> Go to http://www.house.gov/ and enter your zip code. Follow the link
> to
> your representative's website to obtain his/her contact information.
> Speaker
> Hastart's website is http://www.house.gov/hastert/.
>
> 2) How can I read any or this entire bill and follow its progress?
> Go to http://www.house.gov/ and click on "Find a Bill or Law" (or go
> directly to http://thomas.loc.gov/). Now enter "HR10" for all current
> information about this bill.
>
> 3) How do I locate the section on birth certificates?
> As above and then click on "CHAPTER 2--IMPROVED SECURITY FOR BIRTH
> CERTIFICATES." Within this chapter, you will see that SECTION 3063,
> paragraph (d)(2) directs that access to birth certificates be
> restricted.
>
> 4) Why is this a problem?
> While it appears that the intention is to tightly control the issuance
> of certified birth certificates, the wording in the above section does
> not make the distinction between certified and non-certified
> certificates. Should the States react by restricting both, this may
> severely limit family research.
>
> 5) So, what do we want?
> Recommend that clarifying wording be added to make it clear that this
> provision applies only to certified, and not non-certified birth
> certificates - nor to very old birth certificates.
>
> 6) How should I word my letter?
> While, you should word the letter in any way that is comfortable for
> you, we
> recommend you include the following as a portion of the letter.
>
> While I support the intention to increase security to protect the U.S.
> from
> terrorists and those who wish to improperly take U.S. identities, I am
> concerned that those researching their family's history continue to
> have
> access to non-certified birth records. Therefore, in order to support
> HR-10
> I ask that you amend HR-10 Section 3063(d)(2) by adding the following
> wording to the existing paragraph, "However, nothing in this Chapter 2
> shall
> be construed to require a State to change its law with respect to
> public
> access to (A) non-certified copies of birth certificates or to (B)
> birth
> certificates or birth records once a period of 100 years has elapsed
> from
> the date of creation of the certificate or record." I believe that this
> additional language is imperative so that the states do not react by
> restricting all certificates to comply with the law, rather than
> dealing
> with certified as opposed to non-certified birth certificates. This
> proposed
> amendatory language would remind them that they can and should be
> treated
> differently.
>
> 7) Why is timing urgent?
> This bill is on the fast track. It is being co-sponsored by much of
> the
> House leadership and is being concurrently "marked up" by various
> committees. It will likely be reported back to the full House this
> week and
> voted upon next week. The Senate is expected to follow a similarly
> expedited timeframe. The goal is clearly to be on record as acting
> strongly
> against terrorism and to do this prior to the election so that it
> might be
> used in the campaign.
>
> Again, YOUR ACTION IS REQUESTED NOW as House Resolution 10, which may
> severely restrict access to birth information, is on the pre-election
> fast
> track.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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