OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ‘TEXAS

AUSTIN

in part a8 fo

‘~&A y&r’ +fniiJh ‘u4et .g. 'j$:hl& *kAg CitiZOA or the &de of. Tsxar~.~‘rafere

t0 oitizsnship

at the time I$ the, birth,

’-‘~*‘(a)

XA the ofiae,

or b’ ~pereon’ born in TBZBS,but whose praatsr reside in Terse at the. time of h,ie

birth, .aA4.

who remov- ~34 from Tests imme4lataly after the birth, iA view of the laA@uWJe Or the2. JV.

A. hvia, State Registrar,Page l!

Su_ortme

Court in Cobba VI)

Coleman, 14 Terns 594, to the wx00t that ‘“BYB~ QitfZOA Or %X?@ ia AOt t0 be taken %A the reatrioted88~0 as 4eei@Wiing ~oklythe nntivs boxm or naturalize4oltlzm, but in lts~genSZVA~ &OOSptitiOA

aAd n~AniA& ae demor$ptive‘of the inhabitantsot the 00untrY*.is much a ~ersoa entitled

“ (3) ’ xi the qusatlon or oitlzenahl~ is to be 4etermiAe4 as at the timeho? birth under H. B. 014, is the amendXU0At to H. Be 614 passed by the 47th Le&Uilature,

providingthat ‘say oiti2en or the State 0r T~IUNJ wiehing t0 rile the moor4 or any birth

. . that ooourre4outside or the State 0r Tem~‘

, etc., a nullity, or should the phrase ‘any oitiaen or the, State or Texas’ OOIltainOd

ill thill OtiOAdlllOAt

XObtfi t0 the oltizanshipat the time the applloation is rilsd, or If It should relate only to citizenship at the time of the birth, should it be OOArind to those persons born outsids or Texae 4~4 whom parentswere Oiti2eAE of Taxad at the time of their birth? :~

*A birth oartitioateis considereda atatement ot the.

facts surroundina;

the btrth onthe date or the birth.

“8.

e4 by Can a eubsequentevent uffeot the, faota exis.tiAg

OA the date or the birth, an4 should suoh a eubsequent~’ event be written kit.0 a birth record? ”
"IPhenthe aertiiioatehas been ooneiderthe Court an4 additionaleVideAOB, 8s Aec-_.. amary, has been submitted 'to establish the OitiZeAAhipof the individualf%iAg:the oertiri09t6)),

as deiined by you"C. Should the Court Order state that the citizenshipof the person whose birth oertiricsteIS rile4 as4 the truthrulness 0r the statements made in the oertificate

have been establishe4?*

House Bill No. 624, Aots of the 47th Legislature, Regular Seaslon, 1941, is an aot amending Section 1S oi Senate Bill No. 46, Chapter 41, page 116, Aota of the 40th Legislature,,

First called Session,as asands by Seotion 2 of House Bill No. 614, Chapter 2, page 346, General Laww of ths 46th Legislature,to provide for unir0m ree to be oharged for, issuance of delayedbirth an4 death certificates by the probate oourt, the olerk thereoran4 the State Registrar, and deolariogan emergesoy. House Bill No. 974, Aote of the 47th Legislature,

Regular Session, 1941, ie an.aot to amend Seotion 18, Chapter 41, Aots of the 40th Legislature, First Called $esaioA,as atJleA$ed by %OtiOA 2 of House Bill No. ~614,Acts of the Regular Session or the 46th Legislature, to provide that any oltisen or Texas wishing to ills the record 0r any birth,

or death oaourringinside the State or Texas, not previouslyregistered, may-submit such record to the probate couPtin the countywhere such birth or death ocourred,and to provide that any citizen or the State oi Texas wishing ta file the record of any birth or death ooeurring outside the tite or Texas not previouslyregistered may submit such record to the probate court in the ,county where ,heresides,an4 ~declaring an emergenoy.~ ., (With~reiereacie

to the erreot or House Bill No. 624, supra, upon House Bill~No. 974, supra, and vice versa, we refer you to our oplniqnNo. O-%348,bearing dates August 18, 1941, an4 addressed to you.)

House Bill No. 624, supra, reads in part as r0ii0wO: Dr. W. A. Davis, State Registrar,Page 3

n ,Au4provi4e4 further, that anyoltizen

or the’siate or Texaswishing to-rile the record of any birth or death, not previously registered, say submit to the ProbateCourt in tke county where the birth or death occurred,a reoord of that birth or death written on the a4opted iorms of birth and death dertifioates. The oertificate shall be substantiated by the affidavit of the medical attendantpresent at the time of the birth, or in the case of death, the affidavit of the physician last in attendanceupon the de-Drr W. A. Davle, Stats Registrar,Paga 4

aeared, or the undertaker who buried the body. Tfhen the arrldravit or the’~medloal sttendanbz
or undertakercannot be eecured,the oertlrlcats shall .be supportedby the arridavlt or some person.

who -+a#aaqualnted with the’

Pacts surrounding the ,bI.rth or death, et the time the birth or death ooourred, with a eecond affidavitoS.somepersonwho ie acquainted with the,

raots surroundingthe birth or deeth, and who 18 not related to, the. lndlvkdual’

by’ blood or marriage. The Probate. Court ‘rhall require such other lntormatlonor evldenoe. a8 may be deemed aeeessaryto establish‘the altlzenshlpoS the .lndlvidual riling the Certlrloate,and the truthiulness o$ the etatamanta made fn that record. The ,‘lerk or said Court shallXorward the oertlrleatetom the State Bureau oS vital ijtatlatloe with an order irom the Court to the atate Registrar that the rooord be, 01:

be not, acaeplxid.The State &gletrar la authorizedto eaoept the oertirioste

when verlrlsd in the above manner, end shall issue aartlfledoople.8, or such records a8 provided-forin Seotion PA of this Act.

. ..*.

Eiouee Bill Xo. 974, supra., provldee in part:

n .A& provided further,that any oltlzei ir the State or Texas wishIn& to rile the reoord of any birth or death that oocurred In Terna, not previouslyre&etsrad,. nay submit.

to the ?robrate

Court in the County where suah birth or death ooourred,

a reoord oS aueh birth or death writtbn~ on the adopted rorms or birth and death dertit riaatee;aad provided Surther that any cltizan or the state or Texas wlehing to file the record oS any birth or death that OCuurred outslde,orthe state oS Texas, not previouely registereb, may submit to the Probate Court In the Countywhore he resideaa record oS that birth or decith written on the adopted forma bf birth and death oertifigatea. The certilloateshall. be substantiated

by-the affidavit OS the mediaal attendant rprosentDr. W. A. Davis, &ate Registrar,Page 5

at the time ot the birth, or in aese of death, the eSSldavitor the physician last in attendance upon the deceased, or the undertaker who burled the body. Nhen the aifldavitor the medical attendantvj or undertakercannot be seaured,the certlfloateshall be supported by the aifldavitof’somepersonwho was eaquainted~

with the Saots surrounding’ the birth

or death, at the time the birth or death oaaurred, with a seoond erfidevltor soutoperson vyho

~-1e’aaqueintrd

with the facts surrouhdlngthe birth or death, and who la not related to the individualby blood or marriage. The ?robate Court shall require suoh other’inrormation or evidenceaa may be daeined neoessary to establishthe oltlzeashlpOS the individual filihgtheaertlriaata, and the truthrulness of the statements

made in that reoord. The Clerk, or the said Court shell rorward the oertliiaats to the State hreeu of Vital %atlatloswith an order from the Court to the Statq heglstrar that the recordbe, or be not acoepted.

. The State Regletrnr 1s authorized to abaept the aertiSLoate when.verirled in the above inamer, and shall issue certifiedcropies

of such recorrie as provided for in Seation 21.of this Mt. Such aertifled copier shall ‘ba prim faele evldenoe in all Courts and,plaoesOS the facts stated thereon. The state &WQ~U of ~ltal Ytatiatlos shall Surniah the form& upon whloh euch records are filed, and no other Sow shell be used for that purpose.*

Some of’

the &sSinitioasOS the word %itlzeP as Sound in Ifords

and ?hrases, Per. Ed., Vol. 7, p. 197, and ths Sollotingpsges am a8 ?ollows;

*In common perlanoe,all people axe cltiaens.

“A 'CitiZeA'is OAe who owes allauianceto the state, and he has the right to reciprocal proteotlonfrom it.

"The word noitl?.eA9,~ 8 used in the Constltutlon and laws of the United States, ha0 uniSormly aonveyed t,be idea OS membershipOS a nation, and,nothiAg more.Dr. W. A. Davis, state pegletrar,Page 6

*A ‘citizen’ia definedby Webster to be *a person, native or natulaliaed, who has the privilegeor voting for publie oftloeraand who ie qualifiedto fill publia offLOes in the gift of the people1 also either nativeborn or naturalized person, at either sex, who Is entitled to full proteotionin the exercise and enjoymentof so-called private rights. Bo~vier. give6 the definitionor a oitizen in tierloan laws .&aone who -under. the, Conietltutionand

lauzzo$ the' Unlted States has~a right to vats ror Representatire8 Ld Co~greer, and other publfa oCrloer( and who ilB

qualified,

to rili oirioea in the girt Of the-

people.~All psrsons born or naturalfaed;in'ths United States end subjoot to thu juriadiotion thereof, are aitizena of the United States and of the &ate, wherein they reeide.~Abbott detinerr it thuer

‘A personwho owes alleglanoeto and may oleirn reofpr~oel~

proteotlonrrom a government! one,

who.,le ‘amember of the United Statee, or or the ?m%y golltio or a sovereign state. Ago or majority is not involvea. Women are oitlzens aa fully and truly aa men. Nor doeta

a, recognitionof women*8 aitlzen- : shfp involve 6.

grent br politiaal. righta, such es are indeed usually oonferredonly
on citizens,but do not inhera In that statUC*
*By *citizenof the State' is meant a oitizen of the united J%atea whose domiolle is in suoh state.
ePlaintlff,

who, after beooming.higheSt exeoutive offioer of Ku Klux ILlon, leased apartmuts for himself and rsmily outsida atata &t headquarter8of organization, but oontinuedto maintainhome owned by him wlthin state, in whioh he had lived and preotioed professlon~as dentist for over.

20 years, was ‘oitizen*of state,wlthiti Vernon’sAnn. St., Bill of Rights, 1 19, providingthat citlnen 00~11 not be deprived of ISfe, liberty, property, privllegee, or ifaaunltlea, sxaspt by due oourse or lsw. iEvans v; American ;i’ubllshing

GO., 13 S. 3. 2& 358, 30, lU3 Ter. 433.

I4 ).

.:

“i

‘iDr. 'Ji. A. Davis, State Roglatrar, Page I

*by ssotlon 0 oi the deolsrntionof the Texas general oonventioa,it was deolared that the state suould give donationsof ltend to all who volunteeredtheir sorvioea in the Texas atxuxggl.6

againatMexiao for fndependen06 and reoeire them aa oftizans. 4 Saylee' SC. Tex. p. 138. Eeld, that a olhlzen or Illinois,wbs entered &he tilltarp service or TOXa8 0% a vOhUIteer in suoh was after the adoptionof suoh deolaratlon bf promised oltlaenehlp,

and who died In her servloo,beoame a oltlnea of Texas, thou& his wits remained in Illlnolsuntil arter hia death, end that sh8 and his ohildronalso thereby beoma OitizenlJ

of Texan, end were thur,entitled to bounty lands under ouoh proviaion.~ Hlrcher v. Murray,, 24 F. 017, 621.
WCitixenship$18 the state or being veated with the rights and privilegesof a o&t& Zen.* Abrlf$o

vr Stats, 15 3. W. 408."

In view of:

the foregoingdotinltioneand the above mentioned sots, it 1s our o&ion that the texm eany oitizen of the Stats of Texas* inoludesall those who axe residents

or the State t3r Texas at the time the oertifioateis rim and also thosewho were born in Texas although they may now be altizeneor other.states or countries. In reply to your 8eOOna queetion~8 stated above, we resgeottullyenawer the Sti in the 58&C!tiV8.The statute (Article4477, Vernon's AnnotatedCivlf Statutes)does not authorleethe writing of SUb68qUent eveuts into the birth maord eroept that when any aertlflaate

of birth of a living oh1l.d la presented without the statementof the given nme, then the local registrarshallmake out end deliver ta the perente of the child a apsoi~l blank for the supplementa,& ramrt of the given name of the child,w&i.ah shall be Pilled out as dir8oted,and F3tUrU8d to tXO loOal l’e&Strar a8 BOOU al-3 the child shall have been named. (Also see RuLs 26 of Article 4477, au;)m,with reforenoeto adogtioneleta.)

With referenoeto your third question,it will be noted that the above mentioned acts speoffloalI.y and expressly provide "the oerti~ioat%shall be substantiated by the alridavit of the medical attendoutpresent at the tine of the birth, or in ease of death, the af'fldavit of the phyeiaien lest in attendanceupon the deoeaeed, or the undsrtaker who buried the body. '.':heh the affidavitof the medloal attendantDr. VI. A. Davfe, state R8giutrar,, Tag0 8

Of Ulld8J.‘iXik’ar

&UIkOt be aeCUl'e&, the 08rtifiOat8Shallbe supported by the affidavit of soawpperqon who was acquelnt8d uith the fnote eurroundFn&the blrtri, OF death, at th8 tine the birth or death ooourrad, wi-th'a second aff'fdavit of some personwho is ampainted with the faots eusrounding the birth or death, and who Is not related to the individuel by blood or mrfinge. The Probate Court shallre~ulre suoh other informationor evideme es nay be deemad nooeaaary to establish the citizenshipof the lndfvidualfiling the Oertifloete.

and the truthiuLne86of the Statements 0Ed8 ii thst record. The Bleak of eaid Court ahal& forward the oertifraate

to the with an ozder~from the 8ourt to the tat8 Re&e%rar hat tat8 RUrOau at vital 3t tiBt~o8

the reoordbe, or be not, acoe@ed. The State Registrar is authorizedt0 aOO8pt tke a8rtifiOat8 when Vbriii8d ia the above tuamer, and shall issue certifiedaopiea of such reoordsa8 provided for in Seation El of this hot.*

The oetiiiioate

must be substantiated by the arridavite

nentioaed in the a@t. It is our opinion that the probate court mat deterAn the oitizenship of the p8rSOnWhose birth Oertifioateis filed and asoertainthe truthfulness

of the etatementeoade In oonneotiontherewith. However,a;ith,roferehoe to the order of the OoWt to the State Re&ietrar, It is not neaeesary that this order state that the oitizenehlpof the person whose birth oertif%oete i.e riled and the truthfulneoa of the ebatomente

made r8lative thereto have bean established. The statute only requlrea that the “Qrder from the oourt to the State Registrar that.the reoord be, or bb not, aooepted."

%3 are returning &mstlth t&i 6orreepondonos which you sent ue with your opinion request.

Trusting t&at the foregoing fully WJ*ers Your ifiquiry,we are
Pour13 very truly

i.