Greetings All. FYI. I copy the following update on California's effort to close vital records from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. While this information pertains to California it is symptomatic of an increasing number of problems that genealogists everywhere are facing under the guise of protecting individual privacy. Happy Hunting. Gordon A. Watts [email protected] Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://globalgenealogy.com/Census en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm ============================ - Update: California Vital Record Closures In the May 20, 2002 edition of this newsletter, I wrote about the threat to close California records that are vital to genealogists researching ancestors in that state. That article reported the efforts of the California State Genealogical Alliance and other organizations to keep these records open. The Alliance asked genealogists to write to the California legislators. The response from that appeal was overwhelming, and the bill was put on hold at that time. Now some legislators are going to try again. This time they are moving on very short notice, perhaps in an effort to "sneak it through" before the opposing groups notice. The bill has been changed, so you may want to read it again. Genealogists are specifically targeted in the bill as we are not included in the list of people who can now have access, although even private investigators can see the records. The following alert is from Iris Carter Jones, California State Genealogical Alliance Legislative Coordinator: ACTION ALERT: URGENT ACTION NEEDED IN CALIFORNIA! ACCESS TO BIRTH INDEX UNDER ATTACK! TELL CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS: VOTE NO ON SB1614! PRESERVE PUBLIC ACCESS TO CALIFORNIA BIRTH AND DEATH INDICES. SB1614 was passed by the California Senate and will now be heard by the California State Assembly Judiciary Committee on MONDAY, JULY 1st. This bill is trying to zip through under the radar, and must be derailed NOW. Please call, fax, and e-mail ALL MEMBERS OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TODAY and urge a DO NOT PASS vote on SB1614. Fax and e-mail should be sent by FRIDAY, JUNE 28th. The bill, sponsored by Senator Jackie Speier, seeks to remove California's birth and death indices from the public domain, where they have been generally available to the public since 1905. The passage of this bill will transform a century of public information into closely guarded state secrets. SB1614 would foster secrecy in government. Citizens would no longer be able to access government-held, public information on their own histories and identities. This bill would create a right of confidentiality that has never before existed. The birth and death indexes are not and have never been personally owned, confidential information; they are and have always been public records. SB1614 seeks to reverse a century-long free flow of public information by placing the use of both indexes back under strict government regulation. The birth and death indices are used extensively for genealogical and historical research, population studies, public health queries and public policy research. SB1614 will do little to help the problem it was intended to address - identity theft. According to the First Amendment Coalition, most identity theft occurs through the literal theft of mail, purses, and wallets by friends, relatives, neighbors, and strangers - not through use of the birth and death indices. SUMMARY OF SB1614 1. This bill would remove the comprehensive birth and death indices from protection of the California Public Records Act. Instead, it would make the indices confidential information - except to government agencies. 2. This bill would prohibit a government agency from selling or releasing these indices. This bill would also prohibit specified businesses and individuals, who legally purchased the indices from the State prior to December 31, 2001, from releasing and sharing with others. The bill authorizes a civil penalty to enforce this prohibition. 3. This bill would require the State Registrar to establish a separate, NON comprehensive electronic birth and death indices, available for public inspection at county recorders' offices statewide and at the office of the State Registrar. The information to be included in the non comprehensive indices will be determined by the State Registrar. No printing will be allowed at these special computer terminals. Individuals who wish to view the non comprehensive birth or death index must certify, UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY, that the information they view will not be used for criminal purposes. 4. This bill would permit the release of SPECIFIED personal information to financial institutions and consumer credit reporting agencies, for the sole purpose of determining if the person whose information is being released is still living. Read the full text at: http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_1601-1650/sb_1614_bill_20020625_a mended_asm.html Please share this information with any lists you are on. * * * CONTACT INFORMATION * * * Send one copy of your letter to the Judiciary Committee and one to each committee member. California State Assembly Judiciary Committee 1020 N Street, Room 104 Sacramento, CA, 95814 Fax: (916) 319-2188 E-mail: [email protected] Ellen M. Corbett (Chair) State Capitol Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 Phone: (916) 319-2018 Fax: (916) 319-2118 E-mail: [email protected] Tom Harman (Vice-Chair) State Capitol, Room 5158 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 319-2067 Fax: (916) 319-2167 E-mail: [email protected] Patricia C. Bates State Capitol, Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 319-2073 Fax: (916) 319-2173 E-mail: [email protected] Robert Pacheco State Capitol, Room 4177 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 319-2060 Fax: (916) 319-2160 E-mail: [email protected]/ca/gov Rod Pacheco State Capitol, Room 2130 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 319-2064 Fax: (916) 319-2164 E-mail: [email protected] John A. Dutra State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 Phone: (916) 319-2020 Fax: (916) 319-2120 E-mail: [email protected] Hannah-Beth Jackson State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 Phone: (916) 319-2035 Fax: (916) 319-2135 E-mail: [email protected] Howard Wayne State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 Phone: (916) 319 -2078 Fax: (916) 319 - 2178 E-mail: [email protected] Darrell Steinberg State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 Phone: (916) 319-2009 Fax: (916) 319-2109 E-mail: [email protected] John Longville State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 Phone: (916) 319-2062 Fax: (916) 319-2162 E-mail: [email protected] Juan Vargas State Capitol, Room 2188 Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 Phone: (916) 319-2079 Fax: (916) 319-2179 Email: [email protected] Kevin Shelley State Capitol, Room 319 Sacramento, California 95814 Phone: (916) 319-2012 Fax: (916) 319-2112 E-mail: [email protected] Also send a copy of your Assembly Judiciary Committee letter to these three additional addresses: Governor Gray Davis State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-445-2841 Fax: 916-445-4633 E-mail: [email protected] Assembly Republican Caucus Mark Redmond Fax: 916-319-3902 Bastard Nation E-mail: [email protected]