2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 7-51. Access to and examination and issuance of certified copies of birth and fetal death certificates restricted. Access to and disclosure of confidential information restricted.

      Sec. 7-51. Access to and examination and issuance of certified copies of birth and fetal death certificates restricted. Access to and disclosure of confidential information restricted. (a) The department and registrars of vital records shall restrict access to and issuance of a certified copy of birth and fetal death records and certificates less than one hundred years old, to the following eligible parties: (1) The person whose birth is recorded, if over eighteen years of age; (2) such person's children, grandchildren, spouse, parent, guardian or grandparent; (3) the chief executive officer of the municipality where the birth or fetal death occurred, or the chief executive officer's authorized agent; (4) the local director of health for the town or city where the birth or fetal death occurred or where the mother was a resident at the time of the birth or fetal death, or the director's authorized agent; (5) attorneys-at-law and title examiners representing such person or such person's parent, guardian, child or surviving spouse; (6) members of genealogical societies incorporated or authorized by the Secretary of the State to do business or conduct affairs in this state; (7) agents of a state or federal agency as approved by the department; and (8) researchers approved by the department pursuant to section 19a-25. Except as provided in section 19a-42a, access to confidential files on paternity, adoption, gender change or gestational agreements, or information contained within such files, shall not be released to any party, including the eligible parties listed in this subsection, except upon an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

      (b) No person other than the eligible parties listed in subsection (a) of this section shall be entitled to examine or receive a copy of any birth or fetal death certificate, record or information, or disclose any matter contained therein, except upon written order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit disclosure of information contained in the "information for medical and health use only" or the "information for statistical purposes only" section of a birth certificate, other than the Social Security numbers, race and ethnicity information of the parent or parents recorded in the "administrative purposes" section of an electronically filed birth or fetal death certificate or displayed on a manually filed birth or fetal death certificate, unless specifically authorized by the department for statistical or research purposes. Such confidential information, other than the excluded information set forth in this subsection, shall not be subject to subpoena or court order and shall not be admissible before any court or other tribunal.

      (c) The registrar of the town in which the birth or fetal death occurred or of the town in which the mother resided at the time of the birth or fetal death, or the department, may issue a certified copy of the certificate of birth or fetal death of any person born in this state which is kept in paper form in the custody of the registrar. Such certificate shall be issued upon the written request of an eligible party listed in subsection (a) of this section. Any registrar of vital statistics in this state with access, as authorized by the department, to the electronic vital records system of the department may issue a certified copy of the electronically filed certificate of birth or fetal death of any person born in this state upon the written request of an eligible party listed in subsection (a) of this section.

      (d) The department and each registrar of vital statistics shall issue only certified copies of birth certificates or fetal death certificates for births or fetal deaths occurring less than one hundred years prior to the date of the request.

      (1949 Rev., S. 572; 1971, P.A. 228, S. 2; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 4; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 89-217, S. 5, 6; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-258, S. 2; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 37, 88; P.A. 01-163, S. 12.)

      History: 1971 act provided that members of legally incorporated genealogical societies may have access to records; 1972 act changed age of majority from twenty-one to eighteen; P.A. 77-614 substituted department of health services for department of health, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 89-217 added the local director of health to the list of persons who may be permitted to examine the birth certificate or birth record of any person; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-258 deleted "legally incorporated" and added "incorporated or authorized to do business or conduct affairs in this state, and allowed children, spouse and grandparent access to original birth certificate; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 added phrase "or his authorized agent" after director of health, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 01-163 deleted former provisions and added new Subdivs. (a) to (d) re restrictions on access to and examination and issuance of certified copies of birth and fetal death certificates, records and information.