(a) Each local registrar or county recorder shall, without a fee, issue a certified record of live birth to any person who demonstrates that he or she is a youth who has been placed in foster care, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. A county welfare agency that has relevant knowledge regarding the youth shall verify that the youth has been placed in foster care for purposes of this section. A certificate issued pursuant to this section shall not contain a stamp indicating that the certified record is for government use only.

(b) In accordance with all other application requirements as set forth in Section 103526, a request for a certified record of live birth made pursuant to this section shall be made by a youth who has been placed in foster care, on his or her own behalf, or by any person who is lawfully entitled to request a certified record of live birth on behalf of a youth placed in foster care. A person applying for a certified record of live birth pursuant to this section is entitled to one birth record per application for each eligible person verified as a youth who has been placed in foster care. For purposes of this subdivision, a completed affidavit as described in subdivision (c) is sufficient verification that a person is a youth placed in foster care. A person applying for a certified record of live birth pursuant to this section shall not be charged a fee for verification of his or her eligibility.

(c) The State Department of Public Health shall develop an affidavit attesting to an applicant’s status as a youth placed in foster care. For purposes of this section, the affidavit shall not be deemed complete unless it is signed by both the person making a request for a certified record of live birth pursuant to subdivision (a) and a county welfare agency that has relevant knowledge regarding the youth to verify that the youth has been placed in foster care.

(d) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department may implement and administer this section through an all-county letter or similar instructions from the director or State Registrar without taking regulatory action.

(e) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2019.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 551, Sec. 1. (AB 2967) Effective January 1, 2019. Section operative July 1, 2019, by its own provisions.)