FYI to all listers. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joan M Lowry (GSNJ)" <jml-gsnj@earthlink.net> To: <NJ-GSNJ-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 8:07 PM Subject: [GSNJ] Letter to Dept of Vital Records > Hello All > > Several people had asked to be informed of the Genealogical Society of New > Jersey's formal response to the new fees and revised restrictions proposed > by the NJ Dept of Health and Senior Services. > > What follows is the text of the letter that GSNJ sent to the Dept of Health > and to a number of NJ Senators and Assemblymen. The letter will be (or > might already be) posted on our website under the topic "Current Events." > www.gsnj.org > > Thank you for your interest and concern. > > Sincerely, > Joan M. Lowry > > Joan M. Lowry, President > Genealogical Society of New Jersey > mailto:jml-gsnj@earthlink.net > website: www.gsnj.org > > ----- > Text of Letter: > > Joseph A. Komosinski, State Registrar > Department of Health & Senior Services > PO Box 370 > Trenton NJ 08625-0370 > > Re: NJAC 8:2, NJAC 8:2A and NJAC 8:2B > Proposals Numbered: PRN 2005-14; PRN 2005-15; and PRN 2005-16 > > Dear Mr. Komosinski > > The Genealogical Society of New Jersey (GSNJ) was founded in 1921 for the > express purpose of preserving and promoting research in New Jersey family > history. To fulfill this mission, GSNJ holds educational programs around > the state, maintains public research collections at Rutgers University > Library, publishes a journal and newsletter and transcribes records and > tombstone inscriptions. Our goal is to promote the study of family history > for all ethnic and religious groups in New Jersey without regard to the > social status of past or present generations. > > I am writing today on behalf of the Society's 800 plus members and New > Jersey's genealogical community to express our concern regarding proposed > new fee structures and further restrictions on access to vital records > maintained by the Department of Health and Senior Services (the Department.) > These proposals would have a direct, and negative, impact on the ability of > New Jersey's historians, genealogists, genetic counselors and other > interested citizens to access public records held by the state and to > document the lives of its citizens and families. > > A reevaluation of fees that have not been adjusted in years is justified. > Nevertheless, increasing from $4.00 to $25.00, a jump of 525%, for all > records is excessive. The proposals indicate that the increase in fee is, > in part, to recover higher costs for "certificate paper with security > features" and related costs. Since this does not apply to records defined > as "genealogical," or to certifications, the fee increase proposed for these > record types would be unfairly applied. In addition, records requested by > mail for genealogical purposes are not handled in the same timely manner as > requests for certified copies. In many instances, members of the public > currently wait months to receive copies for which they have paid in advance. > Charging such a high fee for this level of service is unreasonable. > > One solution to the inequities present in the fee proposals would be to > institute a two level price system as is already applied by the Department > to vital records requests. This would allow genealogical records and > uncertified copies to be charged at a lower rate commensurate with the level > of service and less time-consuming nature of the copies created. Note that > the national average for certified copies of vital records from other states > is approximately $12.00. This would be a more reasonable charge for > non-certified copies of records held by the Department. > > We also note, with considerable dismay, the change in the definition of > "genealogical records" with regard to NJAC 8:2A, proposal number PRN > 2005-15, relative to death records. It is our understanding that death > records are currently defined as "genealogical records" after a period of > forty years and the new definition changes that to fifty years. There would > seem to be no over-riding reason to restrict access to older death records > that are currently available when the certifications provided cannot be used > for legal or identification purposes. Therefore, we urge that this proposal > be amended to reflect the current "genealogical record" time period of 40 > years, rather than 50 years. > > In addition, we call your attention to resolutions passed in November 2002 > by the State Historical Records Advisory Board and the Advocates for New > Jersey History, and recommendations proposed by GSNJ. All of these > suggested that the Department transfer vital records on a regular basis to > the NJ State Archives following a reasonable time period for each record > type. We reiterate our recommendations and hope that the Department of > Health and Senior Services will consider implementing this as policy. This > would conform to the periods described by the Department as "genealogical > records." It would allow for adequate protection of the privacy of living > persons, address security of and access to records, as well as address > questions of preservation of the actual records and the microfilmed copies > of the same. > > In summation, GSNJ asks that the Department reconsider and reject proposals > to raise the fees to $25.00 for all types of records, instead instituting a > tiered fee structure in keeping with the tiered structure of the copies and > services provided. GSNJ requests that the Department reconsider and reject > the proposal redefining the term "genealogical records" as applied to death > records, instead maintaining the current definition of 40 years as > "genealogical." Further, GSNJ urges the Department of Health and Senior > Services to give serious consideration to transferring vital records in the > genealogical time periods to the NJ State Archives and to continue to > transfer additional records on a regular basis. > > Thank you for your consideration in this matter. > > Sincerely, > > Joan M. Lowry > President > > Cc: Acting Governor Richard Codey > Senator Joseph F. Vitale > Senator Bob Smith > Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula > Assemblyman Joseph V. Egan > Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg > > > > ==== NJ-GSNJ Mailing List ==== > GSNJ Home Page: > http://www.gsnj.org > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > >