Dear Sir, .%inion lPo.C-1066 

: 

Ri, Costs to be oharged prroa. mbo 

-desire to m&a delayed registrationr oi birtb'aad death under 

EOUW Bill x00; 214, ene,&,&by 

the Forty-aitih Lsglilatwe. 

.*s are in.rewipt of your.l&tter of June 27;1959, ti.whi& 

you requort 4x1 opinion a, $hd folhwing qurstiiom.in'coa~oticia with 

t&o proper adrpini8tration of:Rouro Sill Ma. 814: of tho Forty-sixth 

Leglilatura ., ' 

*Should urp oont8 b&olinrged ~rronrnh~deri~ to 

have ruoh del&yed ngi&rationr;~that lr, ia the Ceun~ 

Judge *ntit1ed to any fO0. or the County Clerk, in.oonl~N!tifln with: the psl’fiX’a+noe Of tbOir .dUties &II EUi,h?” 

‘. 

‘seotioa 2 of Bi B. NO. 614 ot the Fo%-alxth Lsgis1atur.s 

amends Section 16, ob. 41, Aota of the Fortieth legisletuzw, First Called 

Semion, Artiole 4477,, Vernon's Aahotatsd civil Statuter (Rule 51a ot 

the~Sanit,ary @de) by adding the following provirion~ 

"And provided i'urtbsr. that any oitisen of the State 

of Texas uishiae.to file tho rooord o f l m birth or daatti. 

birth and daatb oertifiwth. The oertiiiate aim11 be 

subetantiafad by the affidavit of+fhe.m~dioal,attendant 

preaont at the time of.tha birth, or in 0160 of death. 

the affidavit of the pbyaioian lart in attendmoe upon the 

deoeased. or the undertaker rho buried the body. Ifhen the 

ii'fidavit of the medical attendant or undsrtakor oamot be 

soourad, the oartii'ioat~ aball be,mpported b the +ff%davit 

of' ~lme perqon rho *an l muainted wJth the iaots mmrounding 

the birth or deafh, at the time the b'irth.or death ooourmd, 

with a saoond affidavit of.sma person who is aoquaizited 

with the i'ao&a mrromding the birbh or death, and who.ia 

'not rslatad to tbs indiridual by hloqd or marria&e. E 

Probate Coy-b shall rbquire mmh otb~r'informatiom~~ --* 
Mr.laon lbtosky, page 2 O-1066 

svidanco as may be deemed necesaery to establish the citizm- 

-- 

7-#-- 

shl of the individual ethe certificate. and the truth 

u nesa of the statements madax that record. -w- 

-- The olork of --- the raid Court shall forwa~h~o~ficate to the State --- a-- 

Rureau of Vital~istios wiTen order fr.an the Court to 

thsnteR.ltirtnr m-m---- 

-- 

The State Registrar 

when verified in the above manner, and shill issue certified 

copies of suoh reoorda a8 provided for in Sootion 21 of this 

A&: Suoh osrtifisd copiea shall he prinms fahie wide'aw, 

in all Courtr and placer of the feot8 stated thereon. who 

, 

State Burwu oP Vital Statistics shall furnish the forms 

upon lhioh mob reoords are filed, and no other form shall 

be uaod for that prpoie.’ (Underscoring ours). 

Although the above quoted smqdmmt to Section 16 of the 

&ait.ary Code call8 for s Probate Court Order in the mattat of dslaysd 

or belated rqgistmtionr of births end deaths, and also the forwarding 

of the filed oertifioate and court order by the County Clerk to the 

State Bseau of Vital Statimtiea. it doss notmako any provision concerning tho fess to-be oharged by the County Judge and the Couatp 

Clerk for the performanod,of suoh pres~ibqd duties., 

The statutes of the State of Texas prewribo the amimts of 

the fees which various publio offloOrs w-e reguind to aharge the public 

for their aervioos. Artielss 29X3-3946 and aw+@nt,R.C.S. of Toxas, 

1926. 

Artiolea S926 and 3926. .I amended; i'ernon'a Anbotated diril 

Statutes, enumerate ths fees of a Counw Judga. The foes to be oharged 

b a Countjr Clark for the servi.oes nhioh'ho renders the puhllo am sot 

. out in Article S9SO. Artlols 3951 and Artiols 3992. as mended,, Vernon*8 

¬ated Civil Statutes. 

981110 the provisions in Seotion 16 of the Sanitary Code, above 

quoted, applying to delayed registrations of birth8 and deaths, do not 

stipulati the fees oolleotablo by i County Judge for entering an order 

or by the County Clerk forwarding the certificate and order to the State 

Bureau of Vital Statistior, still thbra is no prohibition against the 

ahar#ng of fees tn thoso instances. 

Artiole 9926, Rwised'Civll Statutes.‘ stipulate8 that the 

County Judge in probate matters shall rooeiva the fee of Fifty (&SO) 

Cents for -- 

*sa& order;not othorwlsa provided for". 

The oider.of tha Probate Court paining upon'the oortifioate 

of birth or dodfh is olearly an -- 

"order, not otherWise provided for", 
‘.. 

Mr. boy I[otoq. pge p’ O-1086 

‘i and in ee nbeenoe of expmsr rtatutary dori(pmtion of a fee or the p++ 

hibition of oolleotfng a tee, the cum of Fitty ($ -60) llmts for entering 

such .I) ardor is the proper.uount to be charged the rscipiont of the 

Iwvioe. 

:,d;i hi' tbo hW$C&&;'i;rti&J S$h, wpm. ptov1dsi'th.t be 

iewive the fee:& FifQ ($.+O) Cellts'for -- 

'. ,.. '. 

*o&m coGtifi& to &hot or fa~a~.bopt+ined in 

t.lw reoordr:b~,hia &i~,~~Tith'oort%fiortk and etil. whore. 

sot othmvire ~revidnl.for,* (Undrraeoriag aura).' - 

.'&nw ,~o.~rb~~~;i'duii~a.ilnporrrd lipon th& &Y&V Clerk to 

the &ot t~t.."h~.shall'~~fd‘-ths.oertifion~-.to ,iho State lhrwu of 

Vital Statirtliir with ad .Gdkr. f&&‘tho~.oarjt~ to the State Bsgirtnr that 

tho order be, 0% be not,, .iqoep$odl $8 nM.d!hamiro provided for in 

rqwot to & p&per fee for~,,mae, the above quvted portion of.Artiols 

3930 game, +nd..tho Cougtr-,~*~.l~~loyl~~'authorif~d tp ohnigo a foo 

of fittp (f 669). Cents f~r.-~o~rditig.~khe -obtti~i&te;md~order to the 

$Alr8au of Vital.wJati~t~or. 

,. 

trusting thit.ue,ha*& fully sasnsred the inquiry oontqined in 

IQ. a/Diok Stout 

Mck Stout 

tBrob:no 

A?ROVKD JULY'?il, .I999 

c&i. F..YoorO 

FIR2T A2SISTAR7. 

ATlURlii3Y 'GBU 

. 

Ap&vqd Opinion ,Ce&ittoa.,By RllF '&air& - 

TNKAS