AB 817

This bill expands the option for a person to request a copy of a death certificate

that omits the cause of death and establishes the option for a person to request a copy

of a death certificate that omits the manner of death.

A death certificate consists of certain fact-of-death information, including the

manner of the decedent's death, the cause of death, and injury-related data. Under

current law, certain individuals may request a copy of a death certificate, including

certain immediate family members of a deceased person and other authorized

individuals.

Current law allows the registrar that issues a copy of the death certificate to

issue, upon request, a copy that does not include the cause of death, but only for

deaths that occurred before January 1, 2003. Under current law, a person does not

have the option to request a copy of a death certificate that excludes the cause and

manner of death for a death that occurred after December 31, 2002.

This bill expands the options for an authorized requester, allowing a registrar

to issue, upon request, a copy of a death certificate that does not include the cause

or manner of death, regardless of when the death occurred. The bill also removes the

manner of death information from the standard fact-of-death information to be

included on a copy of a death certificate. The bill instead includes the manner of

death as part of a list of extended fact-of-death information provided to a person

seeking a copy of a death certificate only upon request. The bill allows a person to

request a copy of a death certificate that includes the extended fact-of-death

information, but omits the cause and manner of death. The bill also limits access to

the manner of death information until 50 years after a decedent's date of death.