(a)  The State Registrar shall appoint a Vital Statistics Advisory Committee that shall have the following duties:

(1)  Review and make recommendations to the State Registrar as to the adequacy of procedures to assure accuracy and confidentiality of personal health and medical information.

(2)  Review the findings of the committee for the protection of human subjects pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 102430 and make recommendations to the State Registrar regarding all requests for studies that propose to use confidential information with respect to whether a legitimate scientific interest is presented and whether the significance of the project justifies use of the confidential information.

(3)  Assure that all research conducted using the data from birth certificates is consistent with guidelines provided by an appropriately constituted committee for the protection of human subjects of the department, as specified in subdivision (c) of Section 102430.

(4)  Review and make recommendations to the State Registrar as to proposals for addition or deletion of items on the certificate of live birth and advise the State Registrar on the content and format of the certificate.

(5)  Take testimony and make recommendations to the State Registrar regarding changes in the birth registration system.

(b)  The Vital Statistics Advisory Committee shall include representatives from the users, providers, and informant groups who are involved in the process of the provision and collection of information for and the use of the certificate of live birth, and shall include the chairpersons of the Assembly Health Committee and the Senate Health and Welfare Committee or their designated representative, and shall have a majority of lay persons in its composition. The State Registrar shall make every effort to ensure that committee membership is representative of the community at large. Consideration shall be given to providing access to relevant classes of persons including, but not limited to, women, men, racial and ethnic minorities, in proportion to their representation in the affected population.

Membership on the committee shall be for a term of three years, appointments to be made on a staggered basis to allow for one-third membership to change annually.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.)