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State Representative Jim Buchy
Birth/Death
Certificates-Removing Red tape
A constituent brought to my attention the need to make access to Ohio’s
birth and death certificates easier and more affordable. In the past
the local County Boards of Health and the State Health Department have
had different policies on how to access these documents. Although
allowing local Boards to operate as they see fit is an optimal way to
govern, this current policy creates confusion and unnecessary expenses
as people travel the state to track down these important family
documents.
For genealogists, access to these records is critical to prove family
lineage and aide in their research. County Boards of Health around the
state have traditionally been able to handle these requests in a
variety of ways based on local preferences. Some boards have required
these genealogists and researchers to purchase a “certified copy” of
these documents while other boards around the state have allowed
researchers to take pictures of the document instead.
The Ohio Department of Health worked with the legislature to include a
provision in the biennial budget that provides uniformity for all
county boards of health on this important matter. Rather than having
some county boards allow pictures and others require the purchase of a
certified copy, this fall all 88 Boards of Health will be required to
allow the public to take pictures of both birth and death certificates.
This is an optimal solution to bureaucracy in the age of smart phones
when so many Ohioans have a camera readily available. In the future,
rather than dealing with inconsistencies and possible expenses, all
Ohioans will have easy and affordable access to birth and death
certificates.
In deliberations, Ohio’s genealogist verified that a photo of the
certificate would satisfy requirements for proof of lineage. This is a
common sense reform that is improving the lives of Ohioans in western
Ohio and across the state by removing the red tape and getting them
what they want easily and affordably.
Please give me your opinion on this topic and others in the news this
month by completing an online survey at tinyurl.com/buchyseptember2015
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