A measure to accelerate birth certificate delivery and standardise surname registration has moved forward in the US Virgin Islands legislature.
Senator Hubert Frederick introduced Bill No. 36-0280, which the Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services approved on September 29 before sending it to the Committee on Rules and Judiciary. The proposal would require the registrar to send requested birth certificates within five business days of receiving the certificate of live birth and completed application.
The Department of Health currently offers a mailing service for newborns delivered in government facilities, charging $10 and asking parents to supply a stamped, addressed envelope. The bill would enshrine this practice in law.
The legislation also tackles how surnames appear on birth records. Under the amendment, if paternity is acknowledged or legally established, the mother's chosen surname goes on the certificate. If paternity remains unacknowledged or unestablished, the child receives the mother's surname. Deputy Health Commissioner Hadiyah Charles said this "codifies a longstanding Department of Health practice" based on a 1970 Department of Justice guidance.
Charles told lawmakers that putting the rule into statute "will reduce uncertainty and inconsistencies, provide parents and healthcare providers with greater clarity, and ensure that vital records and statistics personnel apply the requirement uniformly."
Committee discussion also raised the question of fees. Lorraine Benjamin Matthew, director of the Office of Vital Records and Statistics, said her office plans to examine its fee structure. Birth certificate applications currently cost $12 for on-island requests and $15 for off-island requests. Benjamin Matthew noted that the existing schedule dates to 1994.
Senator Kurt Vialet encouraged the department to adjust fees to cover full operational costs without burdening the territorial government.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.