Vital records: certified copies: electronic requests.

(1) Existing law generally authorizes the State Registrar, a local registrar, or a county recorder to furnish a certified copy of a birth, death, or marriage certificate to an authorized person, as defined, who submits a written, faxed, or digitized image of a request accompanied by a notarized statement, sworn under penalty of perjury, that the applicant is an authorized person. Existing law, until January 1, 2022, additionally authorizes these officials to accept an electronic request for a certified copy of these records if the request is accompanied by an electronic verification of identity and an electronic statement sworn under penalty of perjury. The bill would delete the January 1, 2022, sunset date for authorizing an official to accept an electronic request, thereby applying those provisions indefinitely. By expanding the crime of perjury applicable to an electronic statement sworn under penalty of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also specify the guidelines for the electronic verification of identity and require the completion of a privacy risk assessment, as required by those guidelines. (2) 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. (3) Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.