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Model State Vital Statistics Act and Model State Vital Statistics Regulations
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May 1978
[PDF-3.66 MB]
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Description:The Model State Vital Statistics Act is a document designed to be used by State Registrars of Vital Statistics and State Legislators when considering revision of the Vital Statistics laws. The main objectives of the 1977 Revision of the Model Act are: (1) To incorporate current social customs and practices and current technology into the policies and Procedures of the vital statistics system in the various States; (2) to promote the uniformity of these policies and procedures to the end that all vital records will be readily acceptable in all places as prima facie evidence of the facts therein recorded: (3) to enhance the level of comparability of vital statistics data among the various States; and (4) to minimize duplication within the vital statistics system and thereby achieve maximum administrative economy. The historical philosophy of the vital statistics systems in the United States is that vital events be registered only in the State in which they occur. This concept is maintained in this Revision of the Model Act. The jurisdiction of the State Registrar extends only to boundaries of his State and standards for registration may be set and enforced only for those events occurring within those boundaries. This is a very important concept in maintaining the validity of vital records in their use for legal purposes. If it is to be respected, the appropriate procedures for recording birth and death information for United States citizens born or dying in foreign countries and certification of birth information for aliens adopted by United States citizens must continue to be the responsibility of those Federal Agencies which retain jurisdiction over recording these events. While this revision of the Model Act does not constitute an abrupt departure from earlier Model Vital Statistics Acts, there are several modifications that should be noted. The most significant change relates to the establishment of a centralized system for the collection, processing, registration and certification of vital records in each State, whereby all vital events are reported directly to the State Office of Vital Statistics. However, the Model Act contains authorization for local offices to perform those functions the State Registrar may direct, including the receipt and processing of vital records and the issuance of certified copies, when such offices can be shown to be an aid to efficient and effective operation of the system. The Model Act further provides for the options of allowing such local offices to work with records only for their designated geographic area or to be given access to the entire State file and allowing them to issue certified copies with- out regard to where the event occurred within the State. The important concept, however, is that these offices are part of the State Office of Vital Statistics and are under the direct control of the State Registrar.
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Content Notes:"May 1978."
These revisions replace the 1959 Revision of the Model State Vital Statistics Act (PHS:794) and the1973 Revision of the Model State Vital Statistics Regulations (PHCRS Dec. #616.6).
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