Ô¿Ô Searching for a past. --------- Begin forwarded message ---------- From: "Elreeta Weathers" <ecw@htcomp.net> To: TABAR-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [TABAR-L] TX Legislature and Genealogy Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 13:48:30 -0500 Message-ID: <B0002709788@hamextw01.htcomp.net> This is ALL of the information I have. Elreeta Weathers in Hamilton, TX 1. Forwarded from another list: IF THERE IS ANYONE THAT CAN GO TO AUSTIN TO THIS COMMITTEE MEETING, DO SO!! IT IS MAY 5TH AT 7AM. HB 836 HAS ALREADY MOVED TO ANOTHER COMMITTEE AND COULD BE PASSED! We need to band together and stop this bill. It will cause our newer researchers a lot of problems if they can't have that little "GEM" to get their first information. And we certainly don't want any more PUBLIC records closed to the public!! If you can't go then contact your State Senator. 25 or 50 years is a long time to wait and too long for some of us!! -----Original Message----- From: Rebecca Osborne [SMTP:rebecca@osborne.org] Subject: Fwd: HB 836 Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 22:07:48 -0500 Here is part of a column that ran in the Houston Chronicle last week concerning the HB 836 closing public records of birth and death indexes. We need to write, fax or call our legislators and the Chair of that committee (listed below). We have a couple of days. The meeting is Wednesday morning on the 5th of May. This will really hurt our research abilities. ------------------------------------------- 2. From: Bobbie Ross <bwross@htcomp.net> and Coryell County, TX GenWEB This comes under the heading "for your information" and was passed on to me by someone who cares: HI Fellow Genealogists: In case you have not heard there is a bill in the Texas Legislature that might close the indexes to death and birth records in Texas for 25 and 50 years, respectfully. My column on Saturday April 24 will state most of what we know about the bill at this time. The column is already on my website at http://barnettesbooks.com Just click on read the columns. Scroll down and click on April 24. The column was submitted this morning for a Saturday publication date. Since being notified of this bill by Tommy Burns of Houston, I have found out only a little bit more. Supposedly, the bill was submitted to clarify the current law. The intent of the bill was to clarify the existing law and help open birth and death indexes in counties where the county clerk felt they were closed (At the same time, other county clerks felt the indexes were open). While in committee an amendment was placed on the bill stating the indexes would become open and public when the actual records (birth and death records) became open and public. According to the amendment the indexes would be closed for 25-50 years until the records themselves are public. The HB 836 passed the Public Health Committee in the State House of Representatives on March 30. It was referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee. As of today, the bill does not have a Senate sponsor. If we cause enough rancor, it is possible no one will take on the sponsorship of the bill and it will die in committee. On the otherhand, if a sponsor is found, we want to be on record requesting a hearing. At that hearing, we would need to flood the room with genealogists and other concerned citizens. While a law clarifying the present confusing law might be welcome, amendment on HB 836 closes the birth and death indexes until the actual records become public which is 25-50 years. .Monday night I contacted Jack Brissee, Chair of the FGS/NGS Records Preservation and Access Committee. Jack and his committee work with genealogists and other organizations all over the country when records are threatened with closure or misuse. He jumped on it and has faxed a letter to the Chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee. He has urged everyone to contact all genealogists, genealogical, historical and other concerned organizations to write a calm, collected, but, concerned letter to the Chair of the Senate Affairs Committee and to our own Senator concerning this bill. The Honorable Florence Shapiro Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs P.O.Box 12068 Capital Station Austin, TX 78711 Another bill in the legislature each of you should be aware of is HB13. This bill seeks to allow adoptees to obtain their original birth certificate upon reaching the age of 21. HB13 has met with the hostility of child placement services and birth mothers. Currently it is held up in committee where it may die. Part of the HB 13 awareness may have had some effect on HB 836 because both have to do with vital statistics registration If you wish to pass this letter around, please feel free to do so. I have included this mailing to a number of my columnist colleagues around the country who might wish to be alert to what is happening, down here, in Texas. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who hears any news on this matter. Thank You, MIC Mic Barnette's Writes a Weekly Genealogy Column In The Houston Chronicle. Read it on the Web At Barnette's Family Tree Book Company http://barnettesbooks.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3. This is something that could eventually effect our own state in which we live. So please give the state of Tx your support! Thank you Kathy <<Hello everyone! I am forwarding this e-mail from Jack Brissee, Chair, FGS/NGS Records Preservation Committee. We need to send letters ASAP! I know as genealogists we can and will make a difference! Please forward this information to everyone who can offer support and inform all genealogists. This is something that can happen with any state. We must stay aware of the bills being passed in our legislature! Thank all of you for your help in this matter of great concern. Paula Parke, Texas State Genealogical Society, District Representative for Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Rockwall Counties Tue, 20 Apr 1999 21:05:40 -0500 To: ccraska@aol.com, shirleyrs@aol.com, lansup@ix.netcom.com From: Jack Brissee <jbrissee@execpc.com> Subject: HB 386 - Birth and Death Indexes This message is from the RECORDS PRESERVATION AND ACCESS COMMITTEE of the FGS and NGS By now you have probably heard something about Texas House Bill 386, an act relating to access under the public information law to birth and death indexes. This bill, if passed into law, would close birth and death indexes for 50 and 25 years, respectively, following the event. The attachment to this message provides detailed information. Mic Barnette alerted me to this situation. He has taken action to pass the word and to encourage Texans to write the Chair of the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs in an attempt to have the bill changed or defeated. I am contacting you to encourage the involvement of the Texas State Genealogical Society and the Dallas Genealogical Society in this effort. We would specifically urge that your members write Sen. Florence Shapiro, Chair of the State Affairs Committee, members of the committee, and the state senators for their districts to ask that there be a full hearing at which genealogists have the opportunity to testify before any further action is taken on HB 386. Letters, messages and phone calls should be civil, rational, and should ask for sensible action such as early notification of hearings and the opportunity to testify. Thank you for your cooperation. 19 April 1999 The Honorable Florence Shapiro Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, TX 78711 Dear Senator Shapiro: I am writing on behalf of genealogists in Texas and nationwide with respect to House Bill 836, an act relating to access under the public information law to birth and death indexes. HB 836 has been referred to the Senate Committee on State Affairs, but as far as I can determine, has not yet been scheduled for public hearing or committee action. I urge you to ensure that a full public hearing on this bill is conducted, one for which genealogists are given adequate notice and at which they have full opportunity to testify. The bill was introduced with the purpose of clarifying the right of public access to indexes of birth and death records. The records themselves are closed for 50 and 25 years, respectively (Sec. 552.115, Government Code), but the Code makes no mention of indexes. HB 836, as introduced stated that birth or death indexes are "public information and available to the public." The House Committee on Public Health adopted an amendment to the bill which would make the indexes "available to the public upon the anniversary of the date on which the record becomes public..." (emphasis added) thus completely reversing the purpose of the bill as introduced. This totally contrary version of HB 836 is the way in which it passed the House and has been referred to your committee. I am unable to find any record of the basis for this remarkable change, and genealogists learning of it have been, to say the least, shocked. The change to the purpose of HB 836 is quite incomprehensible and is certainly contrary to the basic thrust of Chapter 552, Public Information, of the Government Code, which proclaims the principle that public records should be open to the public unless there is very good reason to close them, and which places the burden of proof on those who would seek closure. The indexes involved provide but limited personal information (name, county and date of birth or death, and the file number of the birth or death record) thus posing no threat to privacy. The limited information is, however, important to genealogists and others who have legitimate reasons to know the dates and general locations of the birth and death of persons in their family lines. I am therefor appealing to you and your committee to ensure that the right of genealogists and other members of the public to access to these indexes is protected. With sincere appreciation for your consideration. Respectfully, John A. Brissee Chair, Joint Committee on Records Preservation and Access, Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society 529 Echo Valley Road, Brooklyn, WI 53521 Fax: 835-9750 E-mail: jbrissee@execpc.com>> 4. From an Autrey Thanks to Mr. Dan Morales, "research copies" are almost a thing of the past. This is not a law that forbids the County Clerk's office from giving uncertified copies, just their "policy" since Mr. Morales "suggested" they only offer certified copies, this brings in more money to the counties. I can't afford certified copies of all the things I want just in Bowie and Cass counties alone. Just makes me ill to think of what will be closed in the future. Makes me want to work harder on all my lines to get as much as I can possibly find. I'm not even working on my side of the family, but my husband's side and NONE of them are working on the Autrey side. Jo and Joe's Place --------- End forwarded message ---------- ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]