SB2974 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 18297 CPF 67743 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2974

Introduced 2/4/2020, by Sen. Christopher Belt

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

410 ILCS 535/25	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 73-25
410 ILCS 535/25.5
730 ILCS 5/5-9-1.4	from Ch. 38, par. 1005-9-1.4

Amends the Vital Records Act. Provides that an additional fee for certified copies of death certificates and fetal death certificates is $4 (rather than $2). Provides that $2 of the additional fee must be deposited into the State Crime Laboratory Fund. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that moneys deposited into the State Crime Laboratory Fund under the amendatory provisions shall be used for continuing education, training, and professional development of forensic scientists.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning health.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Vital Records Act is amended by changing Sections 25 and 25.5 as follows:

(410 ILCS 535/25) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 73-25)

Sec. 25. In accordance with Section 24 of this Act, and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto:

(1) The State Registrar of Vital Records shall search the files of birth, death, and fetal death records, upon receipt of a written request and a fee of $10 from any applicant entitled to such search. A search fee shall not be required for commemorative birth certificates issued by the State Registrar. A search fee shall not be required for a birth record search from a person (1) upon release on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon from the Department of Corrections if the person presents a prescribed verification form completed by the Department of Corrections verifying the person's date of birth and social security number, or (2) placed on aftercare release under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, upon release on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon from the Department of Juvenile Justice if the person presents a prescribed verification form completed by the Department of Juvenile Justice verifying the person's date of birth and social security number; however, the person is entitled to only one search fee waiver. If, upon search, the record requested is found, the State Registrar shall furnish the applicant one certification of such record, under the seal of such office. If the request is for a certified copy of the record an additional fee of $5 shall be required. An additional fee for a certified copy of the record shall not be required from a person (1) upon release on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon from the Department of Corrections if the person presents a prescribed verification form completed by the Department of Corrections verifying the released person's date of birth and social security number, or (2) placed on aftercare release under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, upon release on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon from the Department of Juvenile Justice if the person presents a prescribed verification form completed by the Department of Juvenile Justice verifying the person's date of birth and social security number; however, the person is entitled to only one certified copy fee waiver. If the request is for a certified copy of a death certificate or a fetal death certificate, an additional fee of $4 $2 is required. $2 of the The additional fee shall be deposited into the Death Certificate Surcharge Fund and $2 shall be deposited into the State Crime Laboratory Fund. A further fee of $2 shall be required for each additional certification or certified copy requested. If the requested record is not found, the State Registrar shall furnish the applicant a certification attesting to that fact, if so requested by the applicant. A further fee of $2 shall be required for each additional certification that no record has been found.

Any local registrar or county clerk shall search the files of birth, death and fetal death records, upon receipt of a written request from any applicant entitled to such search. If upon search the record requested is found, such local registrar or county clerk shall furnish the applicant one certification or certified copy of such record, under the seal of such office, upon payment of the applicable fees. If the requested record is not found, the local registrar or county clerk shall furnish the applicant a certification attesting to that fact, if so requested by the applicant and upon payment of applicable fee. The local registrar or county clerk must charge a $2 fee for each certified copy of a death certificate. The fee is in addition to any other fees that are charged by the local registrar or county clerk. The additional fees must be transmitted to the State Registrar monthly and deposited into the Death Certificate Surcharge Fund. The local registrar or county clerk may charge fees for providing other services for which the State Registrar may charge fees under this Section.

A request to any custodian of vital records for a search of the death record indexes for genealogical research shall require a fee of $10 per name for a 5 year search. An additional fee of $1 for each additional year searched shall be required. If the requested record is found, one uncertified copy shall be issued without additional charge.

Any fee received by the State Registrar pursuant to this Section which is of an insufficient amount may be returned by the State Registrar upon his recording the receipt of such fee and the reason for its return. The State Registrar is authorized to maintain a 2 signature, revolving checking account with a suitable commercial bank for the purpose of depositing and withdrawing-for-return cash received and determined insufficient for the service requested.

No fee imposed under this Section may be assessed against an organization chartered by Congress that requests a certificate for the purpose of death verification.

Any custodian of vital records, whether it may be the Department of Public Health, a local registrar, or a county clerk shall charge an additional $2 for each certified copy of a death certificate and that additional fee shall be collected on behalf of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for deposit into the Cemetery Oversight Licensing and Disciplinary Fund.

(2) The certification of birth may contain only the name, sex, date of birth, and place of birth, of the person to whom it relates, the name, age and birthplace of the parents, and the file number; and none of the other data on the certificate of birth except as authorized under subsection (5) of this Section.

(3) The certification of death shall contain only the name, Social Security Number, sex, date of death, and place of death of the person to whom it relates, and file number; and none of the other data on the certificate of death except as authorized under subsection (5) of this Section.

(4) Certification or a certified copy of a certificate shall be issued:

(a) Upon the order of a court of competent jurisdiction; or

(b) In case of a birth certificate, upon the specific written request for a certification or certified copy by the person, if of legal age, by a parent or other legal representative of the person to whom the record of birth relates, or by a person having a genealogical interest; or

(c) Upon the specific written request for a certification or certified copy by a department of the state or a municipal corporation or the federal government; or

(c-1) Upon the specific written request for a certification or certified copy by a State's Attorney for the purpose of a criminal prosecution; or

(d) In case of a death or fetal death certificate, upon specific written request for a certified copy by a person, or his duly authorized agent, having a genealogical, personal or property right interest in the record.

A genealogical interest shall be a proper purpose with respect to births which occurred not less than 75 years and deaths which occurred not less than 20 years prior to the date of written request. Where the purpose of the request is a genealogical interest, the custodian shall stamp the certification or copy with the words, FOR GENEALOGICAL PURPOSES ONLY.

(5) Any certification or certified copy issued pursuant to this Section shall show the date of registration; and copies issued from records marked "delayed," "amended," or "court order" shall be similarly marked and show the effective date.

(6) Any certification or certified copy of a certificate issued in accordance with this Section shall be considered as prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated, provided that the evidentiary value of a certificate or record filed more than one year after the event, or a record which has been amended, shall be determined by the judicial or administrative body or official before whom the certificate is offered as evidence.

(7) Any certification or certified copy issued pursuant to this Section shall be issued without charge when the record is required by the United States Veterans Administration or by any accredited veterans organization to be used in determining the eligibility of any person to participate in benefits available from such organization. Requests for such copies must be in accordance with Sections 1 and 2 of "An Act to provide for the furnishing of copies of public documents to interested parties," approved May 17, 1935, as now or hereafter amended.

(8) The National Vital Statistics Division, or any agency which may be substituted therefor, may be furnished such copies or data as it may require for national statistics; provided that the State shall be reimbursed for the cost of furnishing such data; and provided further that such data shall not be used for other than statistical purposes by the National Vital Statistics Division, or any agency which may be substituted therefor, unless so authorized by the State Registrar of Vital Records.

(9) Federal, State, local, and other public or private agencies may, upon request, be furnished copies or data for statistical purposes upon such terms or conditions as may be prescribed by the Department.

(10) The State Registrar of Vital Records, at his discretion and in the interest of promoting registration of births, may issue, without fee, to the parents or guardian of any or every child whose birth has been registered in accordance with the provisions of this Act, a special notice of registration of birth.

(11) No person shall prepare or issue any certificate which purports to be an original, certified copy, or certification of a certificate of birth, death, or fetal death, except as authorized in this Act or regulations adopted hereunder.

(12) A computer print-out of any record of birth, death or fetal record that may be certified under this Section may be used in place of such certification and such computer print-out shall have the same legal force and effect as a certified copy of the document.

(13) The State Registrar may verify from the information contained in the index maintained by the State Registrar the authenticity of information on births, deaths, marriages and dissolution of marriages provided to a federal agency or a public agency of another state by a person seeking benefits or employment from the agency, provided the agency pays a fee of $10.

(14) The State Registrar may issue commemorative birth certificates to persons eligible to receive birth certificates under this Section upon the payment of a fee to be determined by the State Registrar.

(Source: P.A. 99-95, eff. 7-21-15; 100-42, eff. 1-1-18; 100-724, eff. 8-3-18.)

(410 ILCS 535/25.5)

Sec. 25.5. Death Certificate Surcharge Fund; State Crime Laboratory Fund.

(a) The additional $2 of the additional fee for certified copies of death certificates and fetal death certificates must be deposited into the Death Certificate Surcharge Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury. Beginning 30 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly and until January 1, 2003 and then beginning again on July 1, 2003 and until July 1, 2005, moneys in the Fund, subject to appropriation, may be used by the Department for the purpose of implementing an electronic reporting system for death registrations as provided in Section 18.5 of this Act. Before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, on and after January 1, 2003 and until July 1, 2003, and on and after July 1, 2005, moneys in the Fund, subject to appropriations, may be used as follows: (i) 25% by the Coroner Training Board for the purpose of training coroners, deputy coroners, forensic pathologists, and police officers for death investigations and lodging and travel expenses relating to training, (ii) 25% for grants by the Department of Public Health for distribution to all local county coroners and medical examiners or officials charged with the duties set forth under Division 3-3 of the Counties Code, who have a different title, for equipment and lab facilities, (iii) 25% by the Department of Public Health for the purpose of setting up a statewide database of death certificates and implementing an electronic reporting system for death registrations pursuant to Section 18.5, and (iv) 25% for a grant by the Department of Public Health to local registrars.

(b) $2 of the additional fee for certified copies of death certificates and fetal death certificates must be deposited into the State Crime Laboratory Fund.

(Source: P.A. 99-408, eff. 1-1-16.)

Section 10. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by changing Section 5-9-1.4 as follows:

(730 ILCS 5/5-9-1.4) (from Ch. 38, par. 1005-9-1.4)

Sec. 5-9-1.4. (a) "Crime laboratory" means any not-for-profit laboratory registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States Department of Justice, substantially funded by a unit or combination of units of local government or the State of Illinois, which regularly employs at least one person engaged in the analysis of controlled substances, cannabis, methamphetamine, or steroids for criminal justice agencies in criminal matters and provides testimony with respect to such examinations.

(b) (Blank).

(c) In addition to any other disposition made pursuant to the provisions of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, any minor adjudicated delinquent for an offense which if committed by an adult would constitute a violation of the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, or the Steroid Control Act shall be required to pay a criminal laboratory analysis assessment of $100 for each adjudication. Upon verified petition of the minor, the court may suspend payment of all or part of the assessment if it finds that the minor does not have the ability to pay the assessment. The parent, guardian or legal custodian of the minor may pay some or all of such assessment on the minor's behalf.

(d) All criminal laboratory analysis fees provided for by this Section shall be collected by the clerk of the court and forwarded to the appropriate crime laboratory fund as provided in subsection (f).

(e) Crime laboratory funds shall be established as follows:

(1) Any unit of local government which maintains a crime laboratory may establish a crime laboratory fund within the office of the county or municipal treasurer.

(2) Any combination of units of local government which maintains a crime laboratory may establish a crime laboratory fund within the office of the treasurer of the county where the crime laboratory is situated.

(3) The State Crime Laboratory Fund is hereby created as a special fund in the State Treasury.

(f) The analysis assessment provided for in subsection (c) of this Section shall be forwarded to the office of the treasurer of the unit of local government that performed the analysis if that unit of local government has established a crime laboratory fund, or to the State Crime Laboratory Fund if the analysis was performed by a laboratory operated by the Illinois State Police. If the analysis was performed by a crime laboratory funded by a combination of units of local government, the analysis assessment shall be forwarded to the treasurer of the county where the crime laboratory is situated if a crime laboratory fund has been established in that county. If the unit of local government or combination of units of local government has not established a crime laboratory fund, then the analysis assessment shall be forwarded to the State Crime Laboratory Fund.

(g) Moneys deposited into a crime laboratory fund created pursuant to paragraphs (1) or (2) of subsection (e) of this Section shall be in addition to any allocations made pursuant to existing law and shall be designated for the exclusive use of the crime laboratory. These uses may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) costs incurred in providing analysis for controlled substances in connection with criminal investigations conducted within this State;

(2) purchase and maintenance of equipment for use in performing analyses; and

(3) continuing education, training and professional development of forensic scientists regularly employed by these laboratories.

(h) Moneys deposited in the State Crime Laboratory Fund created pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (d) of this Section shall be used by State crime laboratories as designated by the Director of State Police. These funds shall be in addition to any allocations made pursuant to existing law and shall be designated for the exclusive use of State crime laboratories or for the sexual assault evidence tracking system created under Section 50 of the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act. These uses may include those enumerated in subsection (g) of this Section.

Moneys deposited in the State Crime Laboratory Fund pursuant to Section 25 and subsection (b) of Section 25.5 of the Vital Records Act shall be used according to paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-987, eff. 7-1-19; 101-377, eff. 8-16-19.)