HB 991 Summary

• Authorizes the Department of Health to disclose vital statistics records for public health purposes when reviewed and approved by the department's institutional review committee and the director of health.

• Expands categories of individuals and agencies with direct and tangible interest in vital statistics records to include trustees of trusts, beneficiaries of wills or trusts, and agencies seeking confirmation of records for employment or service applications.

• Extends the genealogy records access period from 75 years to 115 years before the current year for persons working on genealogy projects.

• Repeals section 338-18.5 regarding sharing of vital statistics records with department health program employees and consolidates those provisions into the amended section 338-18.

• Establishes a definition limiting "research purposes" to those reviewed by the department's institutional review committee and approved by both the committee and the director of health.