CA AB1053 Slated to Raise Cost of Certified Copies of Vital Records

From: Legislative Watch Chair, CSGA

Assemblyman Gordon has introduced AB1053 and the bill has been referred to the Committee on Appropriations. Hearing will held on May 18, Wednesday. See links below to contact information for author and members of the Committee on Appropriations.

This bill would raise the basic fee for certified copies of vital records by $9 from the current $3. In other words, $9 will be added to the current fee for vital records. Example: If a county currently charges $19 for a birth record, the new fee would be $28. This is an enormous increase!

For questions regarding various fee elements being charged for vital record copies, please reference the pie chart in the 2011 Jan-Feb CSGA newsletter. The basic fee is being increased and added to other surcharges and program fees. This increase would affect all vital records regardless of when the records were created.

It is unfortunate that the increase would also apply to records created prior to 1906. Today and tomorrow, you may wish to contact your Assemblyman, or Assemblyman Gordon, or members of the Committee to object to this proposed fee increase as 'unreasonable' before it goes to committee on Wednesday.

Assemblyman Gordon:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0021
Tel: (916) 319-2021
Fax: (916) 319-2121

Assemblyman Gordon:
District Office
5050 El Camino Real Suite 117
Los Altos, CA 94022
Tel: (650) 691-2121
Fax: (650) 691-2120

Full Text of AB1053: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_1051-1100/ab_1053_bill_20110426_amended_asm_v98.html

Committee on Appropriation Members: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/newcomframeset.asp?committee=43

Assembly Roster: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/clerk/MEMBERINFORMATION/memberdir_1.asp