Vital Records: News and Updates

Jane K. Purtill, State Registrar of Vital Records

CTCA Fall 2015 Conference

Westbrook, Connecticut

September 24, 2015

Agenda

• 2015 Legislative Updates •New Safety Paper •Questions ? •Drive Only License / City Issued

Residence Card • A Message from Dianne •Questions ? • Connecticut Vital Record System •Questions ?

Congratulations

•100 Years!!

2015 Legislative Updates

PA 15-132 Birth Certificate Amendments • This public act changes the documentation

needed to request an amendment to sex on a birth certificate.

• Currently, a person has to undergo surgical change to qualify for amending sex on a birth certificate.

PA 15-132 Birth Certificate Amendments, cont. • The new law broadens the types of acceptable treatment

for amending sex on a birth certificate.

• Beginning October 1, 2015, any person that has undergone surgical, hormonal or other appropriate treatment will now be eligible to amend sex on his or her birth certificate.

• Processing sex amendments is a State Vital Records Office function, this new law will not impact the local vital records offices.

• (Effective Date October 1, 2015)

Public Act 14-133 - Adoptee Access to Their Original Birth Certificate • This law was passed last year and became effective on July 1,

2015.

• Allows adopted persons who are at least 18 years of age, whose adoption was finalized on or after October 1, 1983, to obtain an uncertified copy of their original birth certificate upon request.

• Allows the adopted person’s adult children and adult grandchildren to obtain an uncertified copy of the birth certificate.

Public Act 14-133 - Adoptee Access to Their Original Birth Certificate

• These original birth certificate requests, AS WELL AS ALL OTHER ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE REQUESTS, will be processed by the State Vital Records Office.

• Regardless of the date of the adoption finalization, all requests will be processed through the State Vital Records Office.

• (Effective July 1, 2015)

Public Act 15-74 Marriage Officiators • This public act removes the requirement

that an ordained minister “continue in the work of the ministry” in order to be authorized to perform marriages

• Ill-defined

• (Effective Date October 1, 2015)

Public Act 15-74 Marriage Officiators, cont. •As of October 1, 2015, anyone who

has become ordained, either through a traditional religious organization or on-line, is authorized to perform marriages

Pamphlet of Marriage Laws

Safety Paper

• Company that printed our paper abruptly went out of business.

• Other states have also been impacted

• We recently found a company that will print our paper

• Vital Records is waiting for the mock-up

• Hopefully there will be a quick turnaround time for our order

Safety Paper, cont.

• Some new features...

• The encrypted “void” background will also show “Connecticut” when photocopied

• The pattern underneath the state seal is heat sensitive and changes color with warmth

• The paper has erasure and solvent sensitive background inks

Questions?

Drive Only License / City Issued Residence Card • The Drive Only License is issued by the

Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles

• New Haven issues the Elm City Resident Card

Drive Only License / City Issued Residence Card • Do not use the Drive Only License and any city issued

Residence Card as identification for a Vital Record

• Use the Source Documentation items from the DPH list of Other Acceptable Forms of ID

A Message from Dianne

• Monthly vitals are to be in alpha order

• Not in chronological/alpha order

• Attach the appropriate report

• Multiple months are to be separated with the individual reports attached

A Message from Dianne, cont.

• Send good copies to the towns and DPH

• Amendments should be sent weekly

Questions?

ConnVRS

•A Brighter Tomorrow

ConnVRS

• Connecticut Vital Records System (ConnVRS) is a comprehensive web-based system

• ConnVRS will be used by Hospitals, Cities and Towns and the State

• The first module is births, followed in 2017 by deaths

• Statewide roll-out will be January 1, 2016

• ConnVRS will be used for all 2016 births

• All of the EVRS records will be converted into ConnVRS (end of December)

• There will be a planned shutdown of EVRS in the first quarter of 2016

Why Change from EVRS?

• National Center for Health Statistics revised the Standard Certificate of Birth in 2003

• From a Public Health standpoint, DPH will now be able to collect more modernized and comprehensive information on the prenatal period, labor and delivery and the newborn

• It’s a web-based format which allows authorized users to access the application from a variety of workstations

• ConnVRS – Birth Module will be used statewide

• For those of you currently on EVRS,

ConnVRS is very similar

Features of ConnVRS

• There will be no transmittal of information from the Hospital – City/Town – State Vital Records Office

• All the information will be securely housed in a centralized database

Features of ConnVRS, cont.

• All 169 cities and towns will be able to issue Certified Copies of Birth Certificates regardless of the Town of Occurrence or the Town of Residence

Features of ConnVRS, cont.

• Home Births – State Vital Records Office will complete the medical portion of the birth certificate

• Once the medical portion is completed, the record will be available for registration at the Town of Occurrence

• Better edit for the child’s birthweight

ConnVRS Pilot

•Will begin in November

•Bristol Town Clerk’s Office

• Therese Pac and her staff

•Bristol Hospital

Training

• Train the Trainer model

• Hospital training will be in November

• Town/City training will be in December

• Bristol Library

• Eastern Connecticut State University

• Training for Hospital Towns (Occurrence)

• Training for Non-Hospital Towns (Residence)

• Detailed training information will be sent out to you next week

ConnVRS Information

• Letter going out next week to all Cities and Towns

• An overview of ConnVRS

• IT Requirements (IE, Adobe Reader, Internet Connection)

• Detailed Training Information

Questions ?

Thank You

• Jane K. Purtill

• State Registrar of Vital Records

• 860-509-7895

• jane.purtill@ct.gov