Posted: | January 25, 2021 01:39 PM |
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From: | Representative Tina Pickett |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Payment to Local Registrars for Issuance of Death Certificates |
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to increase the amount of money that a local registrar can retain when they issue a certified copy of a death certificate. As most of you know, there is a significant statewide delay in processing certified copies of vital statistics within the Department of Health, especially death certificates, which is adding unnecessary frustration for grieving families. Fortunately, local registrars are permitted to issue copies of death certificates for a limited period and families can often get these certificates in a timely fashion. After the limited timeframe is up, the Department is tasked with issuing the copies and that is when the lengthy wait often occurs. For many years, death certificates issued by local registrars cost $6, allowing a local registrar to retain a portion of the fee for their work. Recently, a change in the Fiscal Code increased the fee from $6 to $20, however the amount a local registrar can retain did not increase. Many local registrars across the Commonwealth are upset with this change and have expressed frustration with many of us and the Department. Therefore, I am introducing legislation to increase the amount of money a local registrar can retain from $3 to $6. I hope you will join me in cosponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB740