1. (a) For the purposes of this Section, an individual's status as a homeless person may be verified by a human services agency, legal services agency, or other similar agency that has knowledge of the individual's housing status, including, but not limited to:

   1. (1) a homeless service agency receiving federal, State, county, or municipal funding to provide those services or otherwise sanctioned by a local continuum of care;
   2. (2) an attorney licensed to practice in the State;
   3. (3) a public school homeless liaison or school social worker; or

   4. (4) a human services provider funded by the State to serve homeless or runaway youth, individuals with mental illness, or individuals with addictions. Individuals who are homeless must not be charged for this verification.

      Anyone who knowingly or purposefully falsifies this verification is subject to a penalty of $100.

2. (b) Applicable fees under Section 17 for a new certificate of birth and under Section 25 of this Act for a search for a birth record or a certified copy of a birth record shall be waived for all requests made by a homeless person whose status is verified under subsection (a) of this Section.

   The State Registrar of Vital Records shall establish standards and procedures consistent with this Section for waiver of such applicable fees.

3. (c) A homeless person shall be provided no more than 4 birth records annually under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-1141, eff. 7-1-23.)