Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
Honorable W. Davie
State llegirtlrrv of Vltbl Statfrtlar
Iorar Mate ,Bobrd of Eealth
Awtln. Zexar
Dear lllat thlr department, Your VPitten
dated Nbrah 21, 1941, ha6 been received and aon81dered.
r) you to ooaulder flaate, aad adtim aertifiaafe bhould ed by the 2eur Leglelature In 1939, the 46tb Leglulatum, parsed Houm Bill lo* 614 (Pp. 346 , the oaptioa of whiab Aat reads aa iollovrt
"An Aat ameadlng Seations 14 8nd 1.8 of *2 !533 . Honorable LIevIa, Page 2
QupteP 41 of the A&8 of the Fortieth Leg-
Iglatur6, First Oalled &88ion, 00 a8 to
provide for the flllag of the birth record
of an adopted ohlld fn the loaal reglstrar'r
offlae; and providing for a ahsage la the
bLrth reoord of a oatId vhea that ahlld la
legltIm8tIred by the marrlage of It8 mothms
and 80 a8 to provide for the reglstratfan
of a birth or death that ha8 not prevIou8ly
been reglrtered~ aad decrlarlng an emergeaoy."
The above Aet in addition to nmndIng Seation 14 ii80 amended 8ectlon 18 of Chapter 41 of the Aatr of the 40th Lieglr- lature, Piret a8 Art1010 4477, Rule 51r). Caled 8688ion (8hovn In Veraon 01~11 Matutor
&ctloa 18 nov prOYid68 In part a8 fpllovrr
“And provided further, 01tir;m of the State of 2exar. wlohlag tb ii 0 the "T
record of m birth or death, not prevlou8ly
reglstwad, amy sutmlt to the Prohte Court
la the aotuaty vhere the birth or death oa-
aurred, reoord of that birth or death vrit-
ten on the adopted form of birth and death
oertlfiaater. 2he certlflcate shall be
rubrtaatlated by the affidavit of the medlcbl
e&ten&& prerent at the time of the birth, in case of death, the affldaolt OS the
phy~lolan last la attendmoe upoa the de-
oeaasd, or the uadertaker vho buried the
body. When the affidavit of the medloal
attemdant or und6rtelce~ oaauot b6 8eau.r6d,
the Sertlfleate 8hal.l be supported by the
affidavit of mme person u2ra vaa acquainted
with the feat8 aurroundlng th6 birth OF
death, at the tins the birth oc death w-
aurred, with a ssoond affldavlt of 8cm8
pemun who 20 a6qualated pith the fact8
aQrmw&q the birth or death and vho Is not
related to the ladlvldual by blood or marrlsge.
2heProbnte Mart ahallmquire nrohothar in-
fomtion evldenae a8 may deemed neoe8-
rary to ertabllah the oltimnrhip of.the
ladlvidu8l fIlIng the oortlflaata, aml the
truthfulness of the crtatementr made la that
reaord. The Clerk of the aaid Court shall
forunrd the aertlfloato to the State Bureau
of Vital UtatI8tlo8 vlth an order from the
Court to th6 State l?egIstrar *3 :,
‘., .. 534 Honomble ,&via, Page
record be, or b. not, aoaepted. 2he lItate Regirtr8r IS l utho~lred to 8ocept the certi- flaate vhen verified In the above me‘c, and rhall issue certified aople8 of SUCh records a8 provided for In beotloa 21 of thl8 hot. Suoh aertlfied cop108 shall be prim faole evldenoe In all Courts and plaoes of .th8 faots stated thereoa. The State Bureau Vital Stati#tiOS Sh811 fUI'Ili8h th6 fON upon vhIch 8uoh reeorde are filed, 8nd no other form &all be \?8ed for, thrt purpose.*
ft vi11 noticed ihat the p&ate aourt is given aonslderable latitude, b7 the above quoted Statute, to deter- nine the truthf%&err to a8aertal.n iPtonmtlon~neaea8ar7 to
and the birth or death of an7 persoa Thl8 pYXXIoa~ rtatute ap- app1Ioabl.e to the establlsh- ment of the blpth death of altl8en that has not been reg- %ste*ed prevlou817. The statute, it 8eems to u8, clear17 pro- vider that the State Registrar shall aaoept for regl8tratlon th8 certificate and reoord from the probate murt, In such canes, provided the oertlflcate 18 verified in the 8mnneP PO- wired by above ektute and 1s upon forma approved by State Bureau of vita% St&iStiOS. We believe the 8plrlt of the lav and the Legislative
intention 18 menlfeqt In the phrase used la the ml'gellC7 e1ause Of the Act referred to above, vhIah rays in pm-t "that the prer- ent lar do08 not~deflaItel7 define lasthod b7 vhioh birth and death, not prevlou8l7 ed m7 be reglstemd.' Ob~lou817 the purpone of the nev Act Section 18, a8 ueaded) vao Intended to Provide a mean8 of regl8tratIon whloh hsd not t&qre- tofore exl8ted. We sea find nothIng In the hat~whioh yould Indi-
defeat a registration made ln aom-
We ~llcrve-t~~uertifiosts I8 duly verified ln the
*anndr required by th e l tatutes hereIn oltsd, AltbaUgh 7oUr MPUert and exhlblta do not 887 the oertlflorte and reoord are Prerented on forms rpproved by the State Btuwau of Vital Btati8tlom, ve aamume the fOF4LS rubmltted (Lr'b prOPer nnd h@mS been duly approvqd'and this opinion $8 vrltten upon such a88umptlon.
y- . Davi8, Page 4
?OB ti Maeons diSCUS~#d VO am Of th0 Opinion end 70~ are SO edvised that the State Reglatrar of Vitrf Statis- ties is authorixed and should accept and file the oertifloate and reoord la the oase referred to la your lnqulrg.
Ye trunt that ve have f’ull7 SnxwerQd your inquiry. Very truly 7oure m AFR 16, 1941 A2’fOlWEX OBRERAL OPTEUS ATTORNEY GENERAL