2016 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 11
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to evaluate and report on access
to vital records at parish health units.
WHEREAS, public access to essential vital records, namely birth certificates, is a
core function of public service that should be provided by the Department of Health and
Hospitals; and
WHEREAS, citizens need immediate access to birth certificates for a whole myriad
of reasons, including but not limited to registration for children in day care, schools, camps,
sports events and other recreational activities, job applications, passport applications, and
other events that mark milestones in a person's life; and
WHEREAS, at one time it was believed that the Department of Health and Hospitals
made immediate access to birth certificates available in most, if not all, parish health units
throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, in recent years alternative access strategies have been attempted that
eliminated immediate access to vital records in parish health units and instead offered
citizens the opportunity to order a birth certificate via kiosk machine in nine parishes;
provided immediate access through clerks of court in forty parishes; provided for Internet
and phone ordering; and provided immediate walk-in service only at the New Orleans Vital
Records Cental Office; and
WHEREAS, the kiosks located in nine parish health units have proven to be difficult
to manage in many instances, do not allow for customer assistance, and require the citizen
to order a birth certificate electronically with an additional shipping and security fee in
addition to the cost of the birth certificate; and
WHEREAS, the clerks of court provide immediate access to birth certificates in forty
parishes, but at a fee of nine dollars more per record than what would have been paid in the
parish health unit; and
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WHEREAS, ordering a birth certificate on the phone or via the Internet also requires
the citizen to pay additional shipping and security fees and wait for the vital record to be
shipped; and
WHEREAS, the only location made available by the Department of Health and
Hospitals for immediate walk-in service is the New Orleans Vital Records Office in Benson
Tower which is not easily accessible by the public and does not offer free or convenient
parking.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to evaluate and report on increasing
access to vital records at parish health units.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall include in its evaluation
data regarding the number of parish health units that previously provided for immediate
access to vital records and the number of records produced by each parish health unit
annually; the qualifications needed for a staff member at a parish health unit to print a vital
record; and the cost of the contract with the kiosk vendor.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department should evaluate data to develop
a proposal to increase immediate walk-in access to vital records at parish health units based
on criteria established by the department if such access cannot be made available at all
sixty-four parish health units, such as population or geographical location based.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of the department's evaluation and report
on access to vital records at parish health units shall be submitted to the legislature no later
than October 1, 2016.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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