Vital records access

AN ACT Relating to improving access to educational services by 1
reducing barriers to obtaining vital records and allowing alternative 2
forms of documentation; amending RCW 70.58A.560; adding a new section 3
to chapter 43.216 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.225 RCW; 4
and creating a new section. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that reducing 7
barriers to enrollment in early learning programs and public schools 8
will increase enrollment and well-being for students and families. 9
The legislature finds that fees to obtain vital records, including 10
birth certificates, present a burden to families earning lower 11
incomes. The legislature therefore resolves to improve access to 12
education services by waiving fees to obtain birth certificates for 13
families receiving certain types of public assistance and allowing 14
alternative forms of documentation for enrollment.15
Sec. 2. RCW 70.58A.560 and 2019 c 148 s 24 are each amended to 16
read as follows: 17
(1) The department and local registrars shall charge a fee of 18
((twenty-five dollars)) $25 for a certification or informational copy 19
of a vital record or for a search of the vital records system when no 20
S-0291.1
SENATE BILL 5030
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators C. Wilson, Cortes, Harris, Hasegawa, Krishnadasan,
Nobles, Saldaña, Salomon, Trudeau, Valdez, and Wellman
Prefiled 12/10/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5030
matching record was identified, except as provided in subsection (2) 1
of this section. 2
(2) The department and local registrars may not charge a fee for 3
issuing a certification of: 4
(a) A vital record for use in connection with a claim for 5
compensation or pension pending before the veterans administration;6
(b) The death of a sex offender, for use by a law enforcement 7
agency in maintaining a registered sex offender database; ((or))8
(c) The death of any offender, requested by a county clerk or 9
court in the state for purposes of extinguishing the offender's legal 10
financial obligation; or11
(d) The birth of a child, requested by a parent or guardian who 12
has a child who is a member of an assistance unit that is eligible 13
for or receiving basic food benefits under the federal supplemental 14
nutrition assistance program or the state food assistance program and 15
is enrolling the child in an early learning program as defined in RCW 16
43.216.010 or a public school as defined in RCW 28A.150.010. 17
Eligibility for benefits described in this subsection can be proven 18
through, among other methods, a benefits letter or unexpired benefits 19
card with a corresponding piece of identification.20
(3) The department may not charge a fee for issuing a birth 21
certification for homeless persons as defined in RCW 43.185C.010 22
living in state. 23
(4) The department and local registrars may charge an electronic 24
payment fee, in addition to the ((twenty-five dollar )) $25 fee for 25
certification and informational copy of vital records or for a search 26
of the vital records system, in cases where payment is made by credit 27
card, charge card, debit card, smart card, stored value card, federal 28
wire, automatic clearinghouse system, or other electronic 29
communication. 30
(5) Local registrars shall keep a true and correct account of all 31
fees received under this section for the issuance of certifications 32
and informational copies. 33
(6) A portion of the ((twenty-five dollar)) $25 fee collected by 34
the local registrars must be transmitted to the state treasurer on a 35
monthly basis as follows: 36
(a) ((Thirteen dollars )) $13 for each birth certification and 37
birth informational copy issued; 38
(b) ((Thirteen dollars )) $13 for each first copy of a death 39
certification and death informational copy; and 40
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(c) ((Twenty dollars )) $20 for each additional death 1
certification and death informational copy. 2
(7) For each fee turned over to the state treasurer by the local 3
registrars, the state treasurer shall: 4
(a) Pay the department ((two dollars )) $2 of each fee for birth 5
certifications and birth informational copies and first copies of 6
death certifications and death informational copies;7
(b) Pay the department ((nine dollars )) $9 of each fee for 8
additional death certifications and death informational copies; and9
(c) Hold ((eleven dollars )) $11 of each fee in the death 10
investigations account established under RCW 43.79.445, except for an 11
heirloom birth certification issued under RCW 70.58A.530.12
(8) ((Eleven dollars)) $11 of the ((twenty-five dollar)) $25 fee 13
collected by the department for certifications and informational 14
copies issued by the department must be transmitted to the state 15
treasurer for the death investigations account established under RCW 16
43.79.445. 17
(9) The department of children, youth, and families shall set a 18
fee for an heirloom birth certification established under RCW 19
70.58A.530 for the children's trust fund established under RCW 20
43.121.100. The department shall collect the fee established under 21
this subsection when issuing an heirloom birth certification and 22
transmit the fees collected to the state treasurer for credit to the 23
children's trust fund. 24
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.216 25
RCW under the subchapter heading "early childhood education and 26
assistance" to read as follows: 27
The department shall adopt a rule that requires early childhood 28
education and assistance program contractors and providers to accept 29
birth certificates, passports, and alternative documents to show a 30
child's age or date of birth for the purposes of enrollment. 31
Alternative documents include, but are not limited to, a religious, 32
hospital, or physician's certificate showing the date of birth, an 33
entry in a family bible, an adoption record, an affidavit from a 34
parent, or a previously verified school record. 35
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.225 36
RCW to read as follows: 37
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The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall 1
adopt a rule that requires public schools to accept birth 2
certificates, passports, and alternative documents to show a child's 3
age or date of birth for the purposes of enrollment. Alternative 4
documents include, but are not limited to, a religious, hospital, or 5
physician's certificate showing the date of birth, an entry in a 6
family bible, an adoption record, an affidavit from a parent, or a 7
previously verified school record. 8
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