(a) No person may permit inspection of, disclose information contained in, or copy or issue a copy of any part of a vital record except as authorized by this chapter, regulations issued under and consistent with this chapter, or by order of the Court. Regulations issued under this section shall provide for adequate standards of security and confidentiality of vital records.
(b) The Registrar may authorize the disclosure of information contained in vital records for research purposes, and shall issue regulations governing such use of the records.
(c) Except for certificates, reports, or other documents which are sealed or confidential by statute, 100 years after the date of birth, and 50 years after the date of death, marriage, divorce or annulment, records in the custody of the Registrar become public records. The Registrar shall issue regulations to provide for continued safekeeping of these records and to allow information in these records to be made available to the public.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the Registrar shall provide reports of deaths of children 18 years of age or younger who either received or were eligible to receive certificates of live birth, as defined by § 7-201(9), to the Child Fatality Review Committee pursuant to § 4-1317.12.
CREDIT(S)
(Oct. 8, 1981, D.C. Law 4-34, § 20, 28 DCR 3271; Oct. 3, 2001, D.C. Law 14-28, § 4615, 48 DCR 6981.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 6-219.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 14-28 added subsec. (d).
Temporary Amendments of Section
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 15 of Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Temporary Act of 2001 (D.C. Law 14-20, September 6, 2001, law notification 48 DCR 9090).
Emergency Act Amendments
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 15 of Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Emergency Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-40, April 25, 2001, 48 DCR 5917).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 15 of Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Legislative Review Emergency Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-82, July 9, 2001, 48 DCR 6355).
Legislative History of Laws
For legislative history of D.C. Law 4-34, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 7-201.
Law 14-28, the “Fiscal Year 2002 Budget Support Act of 2001”, was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 14-144, which was referred to the Committee Of the Whole. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on May 1, 2001, and June 5, 2001, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on June 29, 2001, it was assigned Act No. 14-85 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 14-28 became effective on October 3, 2001.