Sec. 191.025. RECORD BOOKS AND CERTIFICATES. (a) Forms for the registration of births, deaths, and fetal deaths must be approved by the department.

(b) A municipality shall supply its local registrar, and each county shall supply the county clerk, with permanent record books for recording the births, deaths, and fetal deaths occurring in their respective jurisdictions. The record books must be in forms approved by the state registrar.

(c) A local registrar shall supply forms of certificates to persons who need them. The executive commissioner shall establish and promulgate rules for strict accountability of birth certificates to prevent birth certificate fraud.

(d) Information required on a certificate must be written legibly in durable blue or black ink or may be filed and registered by photographic, electronic, or other means as prescribed by the state registrar.

(e) A certificate must contain each item of information required on the certificate or a satisfactory reason for omitting the item.

(f) The department shall require that the form for the registration of deaths must include the question, "Was the decedent a peace officer or an honorably retired peace officer in this state?".

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 1st C.S., ch. 15, Sec. 5.14, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 17, Sec. 1, eff. April 25, 1997; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 476, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 744 (H.B. 2769), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2005.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0538, eff. April 2, 2015.