INJACKSO-L Archives

From: "Richard Kinkead" <>
Subject: Fw: [IABOONE] About HR10 - Provisions restricting our access to birth records
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 22:47:32 -0500

Folks,

I thought this Boone, IA, message bore repeating.

However, I fail to see where it pertains to "inspection" of public records,
only copies.
Did I miss something?
Does "access" restrict one from researching died-off lines where there ARE
no descendants? (Such as my Boone Co., great uncle, the last of whose
descendants died off in Pottawattamie County in 1929?)

I'm writing, and I hope we all do.

Dick Kinkead
Lantana, FL

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy or Annie Utick" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2004 7:02 PM
Subject: [IABOONE] About HR10 - Provisions restricting our access to birth
records


>
> Hello, fellow researchers,
>
> I've recently learned of a bill moving swiftly through the U. S.
> House of Representatives that would severely restrict our access to birth
> records, even those kept by counties and states, in the name of
> "security." We genealogists (and any other citizens) would have access
> only if we are the "registrant" (it's our own record), or are named in the
> document. If we don't meet those criteria, we would have to meet "minimum
> standards for issuance of a birth certificate to specific family members,
> their authorized representatives, and others who demonstrate that the
> certificate is needed for the protection of the requestor's personal or
> property rights."
>
> You might be interested in reading the actual language of this
> bill. It can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov./ Put in the number of the
> bill (HR10) on the home page, where it says "Bill Number." Once on the
> page where the bill starts, find the part about birth records using "Find
> on this page."
>
> It is my understanding that David Rencher, Chairman of the Record
> Access and Preservation Committee, a joint committee of the National
> Genealogical Society and Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), has
> sent a letter to the bill's sponsor, Congressman Dennis Hastert,
> recommending an amendment to the bill as follows:
>
> "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."
>
> A copy of the entire letter is available on the FGS site at
> www.fgs.org/rpa/formalactions.htm.
>
> Because this bill is moving toward passage so quickly, it is urged
> that the genealogical community take action immediately and let their
> representatives know that they are in support of David Rencher's proposed
> amendment and the FGS position in this important matter. To find your
> state representative's contact information, go to:
>
> www.house.gov/writerep/

>
> ==== IABOONE Mailing List ====
> Visit the Boone County IAGenWeb message boards at
> http://iagenweb.org/boards/boone/queries/index.cgi. View or post Queries,
Obits, Biographies and other genealogical Documents.

This thread:

• Fw: [IABOONE] About HR10 - Provisions restricting our access to birth records by "Richard Kinkead" <>