OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Honorable W. A. Davie 

State llegirtlrrv of Vltbl Statfrtlar 

Iorar Mate ,Bobrd of Eealth 

Awtln. Zexar 

Dear lllat 

Your VPitten 

dated Nbrah 21, 1941, 

and aon81dered. 

thlr department, 

ha6 been received 

r) you to ooaulder 

flaate, aad adtim 

aertifiaafe bhould 

ed by the 2eur Leglelature In 

614 (Pp. 346 7 

1939, the 46tb Leglulatum, parsed Houm Bill lo* 

, the oaptioa of whiab Aat reads aa iollovrt 

"An Aat ameadlng Seations 14 8nd 1.8 of 
. !533 

Honorable V. A. LIevIa, Page 2 

QupteP 41 of the A&8 of the Fortieth LegIglatur6, 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 Lieglrlature, Piret Caled 8688ion (8hovn In Veraon 01~11 Matutor 

a8 Art1010 4477, Rule 51r). 

fpllovrr 

&ctloa 18 nov prOYid68 In part a8 

“And provided further, that 

"T 

01tir;m 

of the State of 2exar. wlohlag tb ii 0 the 

record of m birth or death, not prevlou8ly 

reglstwad, amy sutmlt to the Prohte Court 

la the aotuaty vhere the birth or death oaaurred, a reoord of that birth or death vritten 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, 

or in case of death, the affldaolt OS the 

phy~lolan last la attendmoe upoa the deoeaasd, 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 waurred, 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 infomtion or evldenae a8 may be 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 that the 
‘., .. 534 :, 

Honomble V. A. ,&via, Page 3 

record be, or b. not, aoaepted. 2he lItate 

Regirtr8r IS l utho~lred to 8ocept the certiflaate 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 

Of 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 be noticed ihat the p&ate aourt is given 

aonslderable latitude, b7 the above quoted Statute, to deternine the truthf%&err or to a8aertal.n iPtonmtlon~neaea8ar7 to 

and the birth or death of an7 persoa 

Thl8 pYXXIoa~ rtatute apapp1Ioabl.e to the establlshment of the blpth or death of a altl8en that has not been reg- 

%ste*ed prevlou817. The statute, it 8eems to u8, clear17 provider 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 POwired by the above ektute and 1s upon forma approved by the 

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 prerent lar do08 not~deflaItel7 define lasthod b7 vhioh birth and 

death, not prevlou8l7 

the purpone of the nev Act 

ed m7 be reglstemd.' Ob~lou817 

to Provide a mean8 

Section 18, a8 ueaded) vao Intended 

of regl8tratIon whloh hsd not t&qretofore exl8ted. We sea find nothIng In the hat~whioh yould Indidefeat a registration made ln aomWe ~llcrve-t~~uertifiosts I8 duly verified ln the 

*a nndrr eq uirbed y the l tatutes hereIn oltsd, AltbaUgh 7oUr 

MPUert and exhlblta do not 887 that the oertlflorte and reoord 

are Prerented on forms rpproved by the State Btuwau of Vital 

Btati8tlom, ve aamume that the fOF4LS rubmltted (Lr'b prOPer nnd 

h@mS been duly approvqd'and this opinion $8 vrltten upon such 

a88umptlon. 
. Davi8, Page 4 

?OB ti Of the Maeons diSCUS~#d VO am Of th0 Opinion 

end 70~ are SO edvised that the State Reglatrar of Vitrf Statisties 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 

y- 535