There is a proposal before the California Assembly now to close the Birth & Death INDEXES ONLY and create some other type of index available at the State and County offices. The purpose is supposed to prevent Identity Theft but there is so much other information more readily available to thieves that this proposed law seems very much to be an overkill. I understand that the Government requires a Social Security No. on Death Certificates, but the US Government closes a descedent's Social Security account long before The State of California issues a Death Certificate. Last year it took me over 8 months to get a California Death Certificate. I don't have the actual proposed law at hand but anyone interested in updates can subscribe to the NORCAL-L mailing list hy sending an email to NORCAL-L- request@rootsweb.com and write the word subscribe in the body of the message. Leave the subject line blasnk. Closing all of the birth and death records has not been mentioned out here, ONLY THE INDEXES. Ruth Armstrong ----- Original Message ----- From: <Mrharveyfo@aol.com> To: <BOSTON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 6:52 PM Subject: Re: [BOSTON] Massachusetts Public Records Closing Alert! > Hi, List: I believe that California is about ready to close the birth/death > records also. Probably many states will follow suit....so, if you have any > urgent needs for records, best write for them soon. > > Barb By. > > >