HB 1603 Summary

• Amends 63 O.S. 2011, Section 1-323 to permit attorneys representing a person to obtain vital statistics records on behalf of that person, adding explicit authorization for attorney access alongside the person who is the subject of the record.

• Establishes that death certificates become publicly available records 75 years after death and birth certificates become publicly available records 125 years after birth.

• Provides certified copies of birth and death certificates to the Attorney General or district attorneys without cost and without court order when requested during criminal investigations.

• Requires the Department of Labor to protect the integrity of vital statistics records to the same extent required of the Department of Health.

• Becomes effective November 1, 2015.