Foster care: certified record of live birth.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, the duties of the State Registrar relating to the uniform administration of provisions relating to vital records and health statistics. Existing law requires the State Registrar, local registrar, or county recorder to, upon request and payment of the required fee, supply to an applicant a certified copy of the record of a birth, fetal death, death, marriage, or marriage dissolution registered with the official. This bill would require each local registrar or county recorder to issue, without a fee, a certified record of live birth to any person who demonstrates that he or she is a youth who has been placed in foster care, as defined. The bill would authorize the youth, or any person who is lawfully entitled to request that record on behalf of a youth placed in foster care, to make that request. The bill would require a county welfare agency that has relevant knowledge regarding the youth to verify that the youth has been placed in foster care for purposes of these provisions. The bill would also require the department to develop an affidavit attesting to an applicant's status as a youth placed in foster care and the completed affidavit, as described, would be deemed sufficient verification for these purposes. The bill would prohibit charging a person applying for a certified record of live birth a fee for verification of his or her eligibility. These provisions would become operative on July 1, 2019. By imposing a higher level of service on county employees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.