Recently, the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 95 (the state budget bill). Included in sections 3705.23 and 3705.24 is language that would: -- eliminate uncertified copies of vital records -- add a $5 surcharge to what is already charged for a certified copy (raising the total cost of a single document to anywhere between $12 and $17, depending on the agency) -- creates a "certification of birth," which does not require the parents' names to be listed In addition, the certified copy is not required to be a photocopy of the record. Unlike other states where the threat to vital records access is based on fears about identity theft and homeland security, the Ohio legislature is doing this under the guise of "fiscal responsibility." Although nobody has been able to get someone to speak on the record, my sources at the Ohio Historical Society tell me that they have heard from the State Vital Statistics officials, who say that they cannot afford to process uncertified copies. (Because the way the open records law is written, agencies must charge "at cost," which cannot include the cost of labor or any overhead, such as maintenance and preservation of the record.) Ohio has had a long tradition of open records. The Ohio Revised Code section 149.43 requires that "...all public records shall be promptly prepared and made available for inspection to any person at all reasonable times during regular business hours. Subject to division (B)(4) of this section, upon request, a public office or person responsible for public records shall make copies available at cost, within a reasonable period of time. In order to facilitate broader access to public records, public offices shall maintain public records in a manner that they can be made available for inspection in accordance with this division." House Bill 95 does not exclude vital records from what are defined as public records. There are many other ways to keep uncertified photocopies available to the public, including setting a statutory fee (perhaps at $1 per page) or setting the fee at a percentage of the certified fee. The full text of Ohio HB95 can be found at: (URL 'might' be 2-lines) http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText125/125_HB_95_PH_N.html Sally Rolls Pavia Sun City, AZ [email protected] List Owner: [email protected] "Today is tomorrow's history." All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus 2002 .