From Renee in St. Louis: To: Members of Degruy-L and other Genealogy Email Pals: If you are seriously interested in family history research, you might want to read this email posted to LAORLEAN by Margaret Miesterfield. I did what she suggested just now ... and contacted our Missouri senators and asked them to insert the line described below.... You might want to also: Today I received this information from our local genealogical society in Michigan. Thought everyone should be aware. Margaret Miesterfeld HR10, which was mentioned in the 13 October issue of RootsWeb Review, has passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives and is now part of S.2845. The amendments suggested by David Rencher in his letter to the bill's sponsor, Congressman J. Dennis Hastert, were NOT incorporated into this legislation. Thus, the terms of HR10 will now be considered by the Senate, as part of S.2845. If S.2845 becomes law, as now written, family historians will face some real challenges in attempts to obtain birth records, even on long- deceased individuals. Specifically, what genealogists need to do is suggest to their lawmakers the addition of Sec. 3061(b)(1)(A)(iii) that would read: "who is alive on the date that access to their birth certificate is requested." This addition would clarify that the legislation (soon to be law) applies ONLY to birth certificates of CURRENTLY LIVING PERSONS. If you do not know your U.S. Senator's e-mail address, you can find it at <http://www.senate.gov/> http://www.senate.gov/ This bill can be found online at <http://thomas.loc.gov/> http://thomas.loc.gov/ Put in S.2845 (in the bill number window) and then select item No. 3; and go to Subtitle B--Identity Management Security; Chapter 2--Improved Security for Birth Certificates. Previously published in RootsWeb Review: 8 December 2004, Vol. 7, No. 49.