HB 1626 - Vital Statistics Summary

• Designates the cause of death portion of death certificates and fetal death certificates as confidential and protected from public disclosure.

• Restricts access to cause of death information to persons with a direct and tangible interest in the vital record, except when nondisclosure threatens public health or safety.

• Requires the Department of Health to redact cause of death information from death and fetal death certificates to prevent unauthorized disclosure.

• Excludes cause of death data from the index data that is otherwise made available to the public under vital statistics law.

• Takes effect upon approval.