reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-9. - Form of certificates.

§ 23-3-9. Form of certificates.
(a)
In order to promote and maintain uniformity in the system of vital records, the forms of certificates, reports, and other returns required by this chapter, or by regulations adopted under this chapter, shall include as a minimum the items recommended by the federal agency responsible for national vital records subject to approval of and modification by the state director of health.
(b)
Each certificate, report, and form required to be filed under this chapter shall have entered upon its face the duly attested date of registration.
(c)
Every person required by this chapter to sign any certificate, report, or form shall type or print his or her name and address where there is a place designated for the person’s name and address. On death certificates, the cause of death shall be typed or printed in the space provided by the physician filling out the certificate.
(d)
The state registrar of vital records shall maintain a record of the social security numbers of the bride and groom as it appears on the application for the marriage license unless the registrar finds good cause for not requiring the number. That social security number shall be kept confidential and shall be disclosed only to the state agency responsible for administering the state’s child support enforcement program. Social security numbers obtained pursuant to this section shall not be used for any purpose other than for the establishment and enforcement of child support orders, to the extent authorized by federal laws.
(e)
The state registrar shall obtain the social security number of the deceased and that social security number shall appear on the death certificate unless the registrar finds good cause for not requiring the number.
History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 100, § 3; G.L. 1909, ch. 121, § 3; P.L. 1910, ch. 575, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 166, § 3; P.L. 1930, ch. 1603, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 268, § 3; impl. am. P.L. 1939, ch. 660, § 180; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-15; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-9; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1979, ch. 230, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 170, § 4.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-10. - Birth registration.

§ 23-3-10. Birth registration.
(a)
A certificate of birth for each live birth which occurs in this state shall be filed with the state registrar of vital records, or as otherwise directed by the state registrar, within four (4) days after that birth.
(b)
When a birth occurs in an institution, the person in charge of the institution, or his or her designated representative, shall obtain the personal data; prepare the certificate; secure the signatures required by the certificate; and file it with the state registrar of vital records, or as otherwise directed by the state registrar. The physician and/or midwife in attendance, or his or her authorized designee as defined in department regulations, shall certify to the facts of birth and provide the medical information required by the certificate within three (3) days after the birth.
(c)
When a birth occurs outside an institution, the certificate shall be prepared and filed by one of the following in the indicated order of priority:
(1)
The physician in attendance at, or immediately after, the birth, or in the absence of a physician;
(2)
Any other person in attendance at, or immediately after, the birth, or in the absence of any person in attendance at or immediately after the birth;
(3)
The father, the mother, or, in the absence of the father and the inability of the mother, the person in charge of the premises where the birth occurred.
(4)
When a birth occurs in a moving conveyance, the place of birth shall be that address in the city or town where the child is first removed from the conveyance.
(d)(1)
If the mother was married either at the time of conception or birth, the name of the husband shall be entered on the certificate as the father of the child unless paternity has been determined otherwise by a court of competent jurisdiction, in which case the name of the father as determined by the court shall be entered.
(2)
[Deleted by P.L. 2020, ch. 59, § 3 and P.L. 2020, ch. 60, § 3].
(e)
The state registrar shall not decline to register and/or issue any birth certificate or certified copy of any birth certificate on the grounds that medical or health information collected for statistical purposes has not been supplied.
History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 100, § 6; G.L. 1909, ch. 121, § 6; G.L. 1909, ch. 121, § 6; P.L. 1921, ch. 2096, § 3; P.L. 1921, ch. 2096, § 3; G.L. 1923, ch. 166, § 5; G.L. 1938, ch. 268, § 5; G.L. 1956, §§ 23-3-3, 23-3-5; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-10; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1984, ch. 261, § 1; P.L. 1985, ch. 459, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 198, § 11; P.L. 1987, ch. 327, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 273, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 164, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 193, § 1; P.L. 2020, ch. 59, § 3; P.L. 2020, ch. 60, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-10.1. - Certificates of birth — Social security numbers.

§ 23-3-10.1. Certificates of birth — Social security numbers.
The state registrar of vital records shall maintain a record of the social security number of each parent whose name is recorded on any certificate of birth established or amended under this chapter on or after September 1, 1996, unless the registrar finds good cause for not requiring the number. That social security number shall be kept confidential and shall be disclosed only to the state agency responsible for administering the state’s child support enforcement program. Social security numbers obtained pursuant to this section shall not be used for any purpose other than for the establishment and enforcement of child support orders, to the extent authorized by federal law.
History of Section.
P.L. 1996, ch. 129, § 8; P.L. 1996, ch. 131, § 8; P.L. 1996, ch. 132, § 8; P.L. 1996, ch. 133, § 8; P.L. 1996, ch. 265, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-10.2. - Certificates of birth resulting in stillbirth — Filing.

§ 23-3-10.2. Certificates of birth resulting in stillbirth — Filing.
(a)
The state registrar of vital records shall establish a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth for fetal deaths, defined as the naturally occurring intrauterine death of a fetus that occurs after the twentieth (20th) week of pregnancy. The certificate shall be issued only at the request of either individual listed as mother or father on the report of fetal death. The certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall meet all of the format requirements for a certificate of live birth as provided for in this chapter. If the parents of the stillborn child decide not to name the stillborn child, the person preparing a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall leave blank any references to the stillborn child’s name.
(b)
The certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall be filed with the state registrar of vital records within ten (10) days after the delivery. When a birth resulting in stillbirth occurring in the state has not been registered within one year after the date of delivery, a certificate marked “delayed” may be filed and registered in accordance with regulations of the department of health promulgated pursuant to the provisions of § 23-3-3 relating to evidentiary and other requirements sufficient to substantiate the alleged facts of birth resulting in stillbirth.
History of Section.
P.L. 2007, ch. 24, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 26, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-11. - Infants of unknown parentage — Foundling registration.

§ 23-3-11. Infants of unknown parentage — Foundling registration.
(a)
Whoever assumes the custody of a living infant of unknown parentage shall report on a form and in the manner prescribed by the state registrar of vital records within four (4) days to the local registrar of the city or town in which the child was found, the following information:
(1)
The date and place of finding;
(2)
Sex, color or race, and approximate age of child;
(3)
Name and address of the persons or institution with whom the child has been placed for care;
(4)
Name given to the child by the custodian; and
(5)
Other data required by the state registrar of vital records.
(b)
The place where the child was found shall be entered as the place of birth and the date of birth shall be determined by approximation.
(c)
A report registered under this section shall constitute the certificate of birth for the infant.
(d)
If the child is identified and a certificate of birth is found or obtained, any report registered under this section shall be sealed and filed and may be opened only by order of a court of competent jurisdiction or as provided by regulation.
History of Section.
G.L. 1938, ch. 268, § 26; P.L. 1948, ch. 2042, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-7; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-11; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-12. - Delayed registration of births.

§ 23-3-12. Delayed registration of births.
(a)
When the birth of a person born in this state or adopted by residents of this state has not been registered, a certificate may be filed in accordance with regulations of the state department of health. This certificate shall be registered subject to evidentiary requirements that the state department of health shall by regulation prescribe to substantiate the alleged facts of birth.
(b)
Certificates of birth registered one year or more after the date of occurrence shall be marked “delayed” and show on their face the date of the delayed registration.
(c)
A summary statement of the evidence submitted in support of the delayed registration shall be endorsed on the certificate.
(d)(1)
When an applicant does not submit the minimum documentation required in the regulations for delayed registration or when the state registrar of vital records finds reason to question the validity or adequacy of the certificate or the documentary evidence, the state registrar of vital records shall not register the delayed certificate and shall advise the applicant of the reasons for this action.
(2)
The state director of health may by regulation provide for the dismissal of an application that is not actively prosecuted.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 193, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-12A. - Delayed registration of death and marriage.

§ 23-3-12A. Delayed registration of death and marriage.
(a)
When a death or marriage occurring in this state has not been registered, a certificate may be filed in accordance with regulations of the state director of health. This certificate shall be registered subject to evidentiary requirements that the state director of health shall by regulation prescribe to substantiate the alleged facts of death or marriage.
(b)
Certificate of death and marriage registered one year or more after the date of occurrence shall be marked “delayed” and shall show on their face the date of delayed registration.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-13. - Judicial procedure to establish facts of birth.

§ 23-3-13. Judicial procedure to establish facts of birth.
(a)
If any certificate of birth is rejected by the state registrar of vital records, including a delayed certificate of birth under the provisions of § 23-3-12, the applicant may, in the absence of an order from the family court, acknowledging or establishing paternity, or change in parentage through adoption, petition the superior court for an order establishing a record of the date and place of the birth and the parentage of the person whose birth is to be registered. The superior court shall have sole jurisdiction over proceedings relating to certificates of birth rejected by the state registrar of vital records.
(b)
The petition shall allege:
(1)
That the person for whom a certificate of birth is sought was born in this state;
(2)
That no record of birth of the person can be found in the office of the state or local custodian of birth records;
(3)
That the state registrar of vital records has refused to register a delayed certificate of birth; and
(4)
Other allegations as may be required.
(c)
The petition shall be accompanied by all documentary evidence which was submitted to the registration official in support of the registration. The petition shall be sworn to by the petitioner.
(d)
The superior court shall fix a time and place for hearing the petition and shall give the registrar of vital records ten (10) days notice of the hearing. The registrar of vital records, or his or her authorized representative, may appear and testify in the proceeding.
(e)
If the superior court from the evidence presented finds that the person for whom a delayed certificate of birth is sought was born in this state, it shall make findings as to the place and date of birth, parentage, and any other findings that the case may require and shall issue an order to establish a record of birth. The superior court may use a form prescribed and furnished by the state registrar of vital records. This order shall include the birth data to be registered; a description of the evidence presented in the manner prescribed by § 23-3-12; and the date of the superior court’s action.
(f)
The clerk of the superior court shall forward each order to establish a record of birth to the state registrar of vital records not later than the tenth (10th) day of the calendar month following the month in which it was entered. The order shall be registered by the state registrar of vital records and shall constitute the record of birth, from which copies may be issued in accordance with §§ 23-3-24 and 23-3-25.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 193, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 193, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-14. - Court reports of adoption.

§ 23-3-14. Court reports of adoption.
(a)
For each adoption decreed by any court in this state, the court shall require the preparation of a record of adoption on a form prescribed and furnished by the state registrar of vital records. The record shall include those facts that are necessary to locate and identify the certificate of birth of the person adopted or, in the case of a person who was born in a foreign country, evidence from sources determined to be reliable by the court as to the date and place of birth of the person; provide information necessary to establish a new certificate of birth of the person adopted; and shall identify the order of adoption and be certified by the clerk of court.
(b)
Information in the possession of the petitioner necessary to prepare the adoption report shall be furnished with the petition for adoption by each petitioner for adoption or his or her attorney. The welfare agency or other person concerned shall supply the court with any additional information in their possession that may be necessary to complete the record. The provision of that information shall be a prerequisite to the issuance of a final decree in the matter by the court.
(c)
Whenever an adoption decree is amended or annulled, the clerk of the court shall prepare a certificate which shall include the facts that are necessary to identify the original adoption report and the facts amended in the adoption decree that shall be necessary to properly amend the birth record.
(d)
Not later than the tenth (10th) day of each calendar month, the clerk of the court shall forward to the state registrar of vital records records of decrees of adoption, annulment of adoption, or amendments of those entered in the preceding month, together with any related reports that the state registrar of vital records shall require.
(e)
When the state registrar of vital records shall receive a record of adoption, annulment of adoption, or amendment of those from a court for a person born outside this state, that record shall be forwarded to the appropriate registration authority in the state of birth. If the birth occurred in a foreign country, and the child was not a citizen of the United States at the time of birth, the state registrar shall prepare a “certificate of foreign birth” as provided by § 23-3-15(e)(1).
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 193, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-15.1. - New certificates of birth following foreign adoption — Exempt from judicial proceedings.

§ 23-3-15.1. New certificates of birth following foreign adoption — Exempt from judicial proceedings.
(a)
A child who has automatically acquired United States citizenship following a foreign adoption and possesses a certificate of citizenship in accordance with the “Child Citizenship Act” (CAA, P.L. 106-395) shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter which require judicial procedures and reports to acquire a new birth certificate.
(b)
The state registrar of vital records shall, upon written request, prepare a “Certificate of Foreign Birth” for a child who was born in a foreign country, adopted by a United States citizen and has automatically acquired citizenship in accordance with the “Child Citizenship Act” upon the production of the following documentations:
(1)
Certificate of citizenship;
(2)
Foreign birth certificate;
(3)
Original documents certified by the United States Embassy abroad;
(4)
Permanent United States identification card; and
(5)
Social Security card.
History of Section.
P.L. 2006, ch. 607, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-17. - Fetal death registration.

§ 23-3-17. Fetal death registration.
(a)
A fetal death certificate for each fetal death which occurs in this state after a gestation period of twenty (20) completed weeks or more shall be filed with the state registrar of vital records or as otherwise directed by the state registrar within seven (7) calendar days after the delivery and prior to removal of the fetus from the state, and shall be registered if it has been completed and filed in accordance with this section; provided:
(1)
That if the place of fetal death is unknown, a fetal death certificate shall be filed with the state registrar of vital records or as otherwise directed by the state registrar within seven (7) calendar days after the occurrence; and
(2)
That if a fetal death occurs on a moving conveyance, a fetal death certificate shall be filed with the state registrar of vital records or as otherwise directed by the state registrar.
(b)
All other fetal deaths, irrespective of the number of weeks uterogestation, shall be reported directly to the state department of health within seven (7) calendar days after delivery.
(c)
The funeral director, his or her duly authorized agent, or another person acting as agent, who first assumes custody of a fetus, shall file the fetal death certificate. In the absence of a funeral director or agent, the physician or another person in attendance at or after delivery shall file the certificate of fetal death. He or she shall obtain the personal data from the next of kin or the best qualified person or source available. He or she shall obtain the medical certification of cause of death from the person responsible for the certification.
(d)
The medical certification shall be completed and signed within forty-eight (48) hours after delivery by the physician in attendance at or after delivery except when inquiry is required by chapter 4 of this title.
(e)
When a fetal death occurs without medical attendance upon the mother at or after the delivery or when inquiry is required by chapter 4 of this title, the medical examiner shall investigate the cause of fetal death and shall complete and sign the medical certification within forty-eight (48) hours after taking charge of the case.
(f)
Each funeral director shall, on or before the tenth (10th) day of the following month, file a report with the state registrar of vital records listing funerals and/or decedents serviced following deaths or fetal deaths within the month. Failure to file these reports or any of the certificates required under § 23-3-16 and this section within the prescribed time limits shall be grounds for disciplinary action, including revocation of license by the state board of examiners in embalming.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1976, ch. 293, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 110, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 164, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-18. - Permits.

§ 23-3-18. Permits.
(a)
The funeral director, his or her duly authorized agent, or another person acting as a duly authorized agent, who first assumes custody of a dead body or fetus shall prepare a burial-transit permit prior to final disposition or removal from the state of the body or fetus and within seven (7) calendar days after death.
(b)
The burial-transit permit shall be signed by the funeral director and by the certifying physician as designated in § 23-3-16(c).
(c)
A burial-transit permit issued under the law of another state which accompanies a dead body or fetus brought into this state shall be authority for final disposition of the body or fetus in this state.
(d)
A permit for disinterment and re-interment shall be required prior to disinterment of a dead body or fetus except as authorized by regulation or otherwise provided by law. The permit shall be issued by the local registrar of vital records at the place of disinterment to a licensed funeral director, embalmer, his or her duly authorized agent, or another person acting as a duly authorized agent, upon proper application.
(e)(1)
The body of a deceased person shall not be cremated within twenty-four (24) hours after his or her death unless he or she dies of a contagious or infectious disease. The body shall not be received or cremated by any corporation authorized to cremate the bodies of the dead until its officers have received the burial permit required by law before burial, and a cremation certificate issued by the Rhode Island office of state medical examiners. A cremation certificate shall be issued only if the office of state medical examiners determines that the cause and manner of death is such that no further examination or judicial inquiry concerning the cause and manner of death is necessary.
(2)
The cremation certificate issued to the funeral director by the medical examiner, in duplicate, shall accompany the body to the crematory. The crematory shall retain the duplicate copy and mail the original copy to the state division of vital records.
History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 100, § 9; P.L. 1897, ch. 452, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 121, § 9; P.L. 1910, ch. 575, § 4; P.L. 1911, ch. 713, § 1; P.L. 1914, ch. 1092, § 1; P.L. 1921, ch. 2096, § 4; G.L. 1923, ch. 166, § 8; P.L. 1931, ch. 1698, § 1; P.L. 1932, ch. 1947, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 268, § 7; impl. am. P.L. 1939, ch. 660, §§ 180, 182; P.L. 1941, ch. 980, § 1; P.L. 1955, ch. 3442, § 1; impl. am. P.L. 1955, ch. 3453, § 1; G.L. 1956, §§ 23-3-18 to 23-3-22; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-18; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1962, ch. 13, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 110, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 242, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 361, § 1; P.L. 1993, ch. 272, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-19. - Extension of time.

§ 23-3-19. Extension of time.
(a)
The director of health may, by regulation and upon conditions that he or she may prescribe to assure compliance with the purposes of this chapter, provide for the extension of the periods prescribed in §§ 23-3-16, 23-3-17, and 23-3-18 for the filing of death certificates, fetal death certificates, medical certifications of cause of death, and for the obtaining of burial-transit permits in cases in which compliance with the applicable prescribed period would result in undue hardship.
(b)
Regulations of the director of health may provide for the issuance of a burial-transit permit under § 23-3-18 prior to the filing of a certificate of death or fetal death upon conditions designed to assure compliance with the purposes of this chapter in cases in which compliance with the requirement that the certificate be filed prior to the issuance of the permit would result in undue hardship.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-20. - Court reports of divorce.

§ 23-3-20. Court reports of divorce.
(a)
For each divorce granted by any court in this state, a report shall be prepared and filed by the clerk of the court with the state registrar of vital records. The report shall be furnished, with the final decree, to the clerk of the court by the prevailing party or his or her legal representative on forms prescribed and furnished by the state registrar of vital records.
(b)
On or before the tenth (10th) day of each third (3rd) month commencing on April 10, 1962, the clerk of the court shall forward to the state registrar of vital records the report of each divorce granted during the preceding three (3) calendar months and related reports that may be required by regulations issued under this chapter.
(c)
The clerk of the court shall be paid by the general treasurer the sum of fifty cents ($0.50) for each certificate of divorce so registered and transmitted to the state registrar of vital records in accordance with rules and regulations issued under this chapter.
History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 100, § 24; C.P.A. 1905, § 1220; G.L. 1909, ch. 121, § 24; G.L. 1923, ch. 166, § 22; G.L. 1938, ch. 268, § 21; impl. am. P.L. 1939, ch. 660, §§ 180, 182; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-39; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-20; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-21. - Correction and amendment of vital records.

§ 23-3-21. Correction and amendment of vital records.
(a)
A certificate or record registered under this chapter may be amended only in accordance with this chapter and regulations adopted under this chapter by the director of health to protect the integrity and accuracy of vital statistics records.
(b)
A certificate that is amended under this section shall be marked “amended” except as provided in subsection (d) of this section. The date of amendment and a summary description of the evidence submitted in support of the amendment shall be endorsed on or made a part of the record. The director of health shall prescribe by regulation the conditions under which additions or minor corrections shall be made to birth certificates within one year after the date of birth without the certificate being considered as amended.
(c)
Upon receipt of a certified copy of a court order changing the name of a person born in this state and upon request of that person or his or her parent, guardian, or legal representative, the state registrar of vital records shall amend the certificate of birth to reflect the new name.
(d)
Upon request and receipt of a sworn acknowledgement of paternity of a child born out of wedlock signed by both parents, the state registrar of vital records shall amend a certificate of birth to show paternity if paternity is not shown on the birth certificate. The department of human services and the division of taxation within the department of administration are authorized to accept a sworn acknowledgment of paternity of a child born out of wedlock signed by both parents on forms prescribed in accordance with § 23-3-9, to forward the acknowledgment to the state registrar of vital records, and the state registrar of vital records shall amend the certificate of birth to show paternity if paternity is not shown on the birth certificate. Upon request of the parents, after approval by a court of competent jurisdiction, the surname of the child shall be changed on the certificate to that of the father. The certificate shall not be marked “amended.”
(e)
When a certificate is amended under this section, the state registrar of vital records shall report the amendment to the custodian of any permanent local records and that record shall be amended accordingly.
History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 100, § 25; P.L. 1899, ch. 616, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 121, § 25; P.L. 1921, ch. 2096, § 8; G.L. 1923, ch. 166, § 23; G.L. 1938, ch. 268, § 22; impl. am. P.L. 1939, ch. 660, §§ 180, 182; P.L. 1944, ch. 1483, §§ 1, 2; G.L. 1956, §§ 23-3-32, 23-3-33; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-21; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 129, § 9; P.L. 1996, ch. 131, § 9; P.L. 1996, ch. 132, § 9; P.L. 1996, ch. 133, § 9.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-22. - Reproduction of records.

§ 23-3-22. Reproduction of records.
To preserve original documents, the state registrar of vital records is authorized to prepare typewritten, photographic, or other reproductions of original records and files in his or her office. These reproductions, when certified by him or her, shall be accepted as the original record.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-23. - Disclosure of records.

§ 23-3-23. Disclosure of records.
(a)
To protect the integrity of vital records, to ensure their proper use, and to ensure the efficient and proper administration of the vital records system, it shall be unlawful for any person to permit inspection of, or to disclose information contained in, vital records, or to copy, or issue a copy, of all, or part of, any vital record, except as authorized by regulation or as provided for herein.
(b)
The director of health may authorize, under appropriate safeguards, the disclosure of data contained in vital records for research purposes.
(c)
Information in vital records indicating that a birth occurred out of wedlock shall not be disclosed, except as provided by regulation, upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or until the record becomes a public record as defined by regulations.
(d)
Appeals from decisions of the custodians of permanent local records refusing to disclose information, or to permit inspection of or copying of records, of persons born one hundred (100) years before the date of inspection, under the authority of this section and regulation issued under this section, shall be made to the state registrar of vital records. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, those records shall be open for research to any member of a legally incorporated genealogy society and those societies shall be permitted to incorporate statistics derived from those records in their publications, upon receipt of permission of the director of health; and provided, further, that no person, except the person whose birth is recorded, his or her issue, parent or guardian, spouse, civil union and/or registered domestic partner, grandparent, or sibling; or attorneys at law, title examiners, or members of legally incorporated genealogical societies in the conduct of their official duties as defined in regulations shall have any access to, or be permitted to, examine the original or any copy of the birth certificate or birth record, of any person in the custody of any registrar of vital records or of the state department of health.
(e)
Title examiners, attorneys, or members of legally incorporated genealogical societies, in the conduct of their official duties as defined in regulations, shall be allowed to examine death certificates that have been filed with the department of health and/or municipalities. No fees shall be charged to such persons for the searching or viewing of death certificates, but fees for copies pursuant to § 23-1-54 or § 23-3-25 shall apply.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1972, ch. 278, § 1; P.L. 1983, ch. 198, § 2; P.L. 2014, ch. 193, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 522, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 526, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-24. - Copies of data from vital records.

§ 23-3-24. Copies of data from vital records.
In accordance with § 23-3-23 and the regulations adopted pursuant to that section:
(1)
The state registrar of vital records shall upon request issue a certified copy of any certificate or record in his or her custody or a part thereof. Each copy issued shall show the date of registration; and copies issued from records marked “delayed,” “amended,” or “court order” shall be similarly marked and show the effective date. Any copies issued of a “certificate of foreign birth” shall indicate this fact and show the actual place of birth.
(2)
The custodian of permanent local records shall upon request issue a certified copy of any certificate or record in his or her custody only in a form that shall be prescribed by the state director of health.
(3)
A certified copy of a certificate or any part thereof, issued in accordance with subdivision (1) or (2) of this section, shall be considered for all purposes the same as the original, and shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated in the certificate, provided that the evidentiary value of a certificate or record filed more than one year after the event, or a record which has been amended, or a “certificate of foreign birth,” shall be determined by the judicial or administrative body or official before whom the certificate is offered as evidence.
(4)
The National Office of Vital Statistics may be furnished copies or data that it may require for national statistics; provided, that the state shall be reimbursed for the cost of furnishing the data; and provided further, that the data shall not be used for other than statistical purposes by the National Office of Vital Records unless so authorized by the state registrar of vital records.
(5)
Federal, state, local, and other public or private agencies may, upon request, be furnished copies or data for statistical purposes upon terms or conditions that may be prescribed by the state director of health.
(6)
No person shall prepare or issue any certificate which purports to be an original certified copy, or copy of a certificate of birth, death, or fetal death, except as authorized in this chapter or regulations adopted under this chapter.
History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 100, § 16; G.L. 1909, ch. 121, § 16; G.L. 1923, ch. 166, § 15; G.L. 1909, ch. 166, § 24; P.L. 1923, ch. 436, § 2; G.L. 1938, ch. 268, §§ 14, 23; G.L. 1956, §§ 23-3-31, 23-3-37; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-24; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 193, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-24.1. - Native Americans — Certified copies of birth records.

§ 23-3-24.1. Native Americans — Certified copies of birth records.
Any American Indian or Native American whose certified copy of a birth record contains a racial designation that is incorrect may, without paying a fee, obtain one certified copy of his or her birth record from which the incorrect racial designation has been amended. The person requesting the birth record shall provide satisfactory proof from a tribal authority.
History of Section.
P.L. 1998, ch. 309, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-25.1. - Veterans’ exemption for fees for copies and searches.

§ 23-3-25.1. Veterans’ exemption for fees for copies and searches.
Any veteran who served honorably in the military or naval service of the United States shall be processed without a charge or fee when making a request for vital statistics regarding a request for his or her own personal records.
History of Section.
P.L. 1997, ch. 267, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-26. - Persons required to keep records.

§ 23-3-26. Persons required to keep records.
(a)
Every person in charge of an institution, as defined in this chapter, shall keep a record of personal particulars and data concerning each person admitted or confined to that institution. This record shall include the information required by the standard certificates of birth, death, and fetal death forms issued under the provisions of this chapter. The record shall be made at the time of admission from information provided by those persons, but when it cannot be so obtained, it shall be obtained from relatives or other persons acquainted with the facts. The name and address of the person providing the information shall be a part of the record.
(b)
When a dead human body is released or disposed of by an institution, the person in charge of the institution shall keep a record showing the name of the deceased, date of death, name and address of the person to whom the body is released, date of removal from the institution, or if finally disposed of by the institution, the date, place, and manner of disposition shall be recorded.
(c)
A funeral director, embalmer, or other person who removes from the place of death or transports or finally disposes of a dead body or fetus, in addition to filing any certificate or other form required by this chapter, shall keep a record which shall identify the body, and information pertaining to his receipt, removal, and delivery of the body that may be prescribed in regulations adopted by the director of health.
(d)
Records maintained under this section shall be retained for a period of not less than five (5) years and shall be made available for inspection by the state registrar of vital records or his or her representative upon demand.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-27. - Duties to furnish information relative to vital events.

§ 23-3-27. Duties to furnish information relative to vital events.
Any person having knowledge of the facts shall furnish information that he or she may possess regarding any birth, death, fetal death, marriage, or divorce, upon demand of the state registrar of vital records.
History of Section.
P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-28. - Penalties.

§ 23-3-28. Penalties.
(a)(1)
Any person who willfully and knowingly makes any false statement in a report, record, or certificate required to be filed under this chapter, or in an application for an amendment of those, or who willfully and knowingly supplies false information intending that this false information be used in the preparation of any report, record, or certificate, or amendment; or
(2)
Any person who without lawful authority and with the intent to deceive, makes, alters, amends, or mutilates any report, record, or certificate required to be filed under this chapter or a certified copy of any report, record, or certificate; or
(3)
Any person who willfully and knowingly uses or attempts to use, or furnish to another for use, for any purpose of deception, any certificate, record, report, or certified copy thereof so made, altered, amended, or mutilated; or
(4)
Any person who with the intention to deceive willfully uses or attempts to use any certificate of birth or certified copy of a record of birth knowing that the certificate or certified copy was issued upon a record which is false in whole or in part or which relates to the birth of another person; or
(5)
Any person who willfully and knowingly furnishes a certificate of birth or a certified copy of a record of birth with the intention that it be used by a person other than the person to whom the record of birth relates;
Shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(b)(1)
Any person who knowingly transports and accepts for transportation, interment, or other disposition a dead body without an accompanying permit as provided in this chapter; or
(2)
Any person who refuses to provide information required by this chapter; or
(3)
Any person who willfully neglects or violates any of the provisions of this chapter or refuses to perform any of the duties imposed upon him by this chapter;
Shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100) or be imprisoned for not more than thirty (30) days, or by both fine and imprisonment.
History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 100, § 13; G.L. 1909, ch. 121, § 13; P.L. 1921, ch. 2096, § 5; G.L. 1923, ch. 166, § 12; G.L. 1938, ch. 268, § 11; G.L. 1956, § 23-3-14; G.L., § 23-3-28; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-3 - Vital Records › Section 23-3-29. - Division of vital records and state registrar of vital records.

§ 23-3-29. Division of vital records and state registrar of vital records.
Wherever in the general or public laws there appear the words “division of vital statistics” and the words “state registrar of vital statistics” in relation to the Rhode Island department of health, the word “records” shall be substituted for the word “statistics”.
History of Section.
P.L. 1988, ch. 95, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 276, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-4 - Office of State Medical Examiners › Section 23-4-1. - Definitions.

§ 23-4-1. Definitions.
(a)
“Assistant medical examiner” means a duly licensed doctor of medicine or osteopathy appointed to assist the office of state medical examiners on a part-time basis.
(b)
“Autopsy” means the dissection of a dead body and the removal and examination of bone, tissue, organs, and foreign objects for the purpose of determining the condition of the body and the cause and the manner of the death.
(c)
“Cause of death” means the agent that has directly or indirectly resulted in a death.
(d)
“Inquest” means an official judicial inquiry before a medical examiner and/or medical examiners jury for the purpose of determining the manner of death.
(e)
“Manner of death” means the means or fatal agency that caused a death.
(f)
“Postmortem examination” means examination after death and includes an examination of the dead body and surroundings by an agent of the office of state medical examiners but does not include dissection of the body for any purpose.
(g)
“Work product” means preliminary drafts, notes, impressions, memoranda, working papers, and similar documents of a governmental entity, whether in electronic or other format.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 169, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 82, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 92, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-4 - Office of State Medical Examiners › Section 23-4-2. - Establishment of office.

§ 23-4-2. Establishment of office.
(a)
There is established in the department of health the office of state medical examiners. The director of health, with the advice of the state medical examiners commission, is authorized to adopt, amend, promulgate, and enforce rules and regulations and standards that may be designed to further the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter.
(b)
The office of state medical examiners shall obtain and maintain accreditation by the National Association of Medical Examiners or other national accrediting organization in the field of forensic medicine and pathology.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 169, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 400, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 122, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 169, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-4 - Office of State Medical Examiners › Section 23-4-3.1. - Immunity.

§ 23-4-3.1. Immunity.
No member of the multidisciplinary teams shall be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege, including, but not limited to, civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business, occupational, or professional licensing board or entity (and, for members who are state employees, termination or loss of employee or pension benefits), for acting in accordance with § 23-4-3.
History of Section.
P.L. 2018, ch. 82, § 2; P.L. 2018, ch. 92, § 2; P.L. 2019, ch. 106, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 139, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 308, art. 2, § 6.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-4 - Office of State Medical Examiners › Section 23-4-4. - Jurisdiction.

§ 23-4-4. Jurisdiction.
The office of state medical examiners shall have the authority to make postmortem examinations, to undertake inquests, and to perform autopsies where there may be in its judgment a reasonable belief that the manner of death could be pronounced as:
(1)
Death by a homicide, suicide, or casualty;
(2)
Death due to a criminal abortion;
(3)
Death due to an accident involving lack of due care on the part of a person other than the deceased;
(4)
Death which is the immediate or remote consequences of any physical or toxic injury incurred while the deceased person was employed;
(5)
Death due to the use of addictive or unidentifiable chemical agents; or
(6)
Death due to an infectious agent capable of spreading an epidemic within the state.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 169, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-4 - Office of State Medical Examiners › Section 23-4-5. - Chief medical examiner — Assistants and other staff.

§ 23-4-5. Chief medical examiner — Assistants and other staff.
(a)
The office shall be under the immediate supervision of a chief, who shall be known as the “chief medical examiner” and who shall be a physician licensed under the provisions of chapter 37 of title 5, and a qualified pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology and who has had forensic training or experience. He or she shall be appointed by the director of health as shall the deputy chief medical examiner with the advice of the medical examiner’s commission. The chief medical examiner shall be in the unclassified service and the deputy chief medical examiner shall be in the classified service.
(b)
The chief medical examiner shall appoint, with the approval of the director of health, assistant medical examiners and shall hire other staff as necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
(c)
Persons employed full time at the time of enactment of this chapter within the division of medical examiners in the department of the attorney general shall be transferred to the office of state medical examiners with their former rights and privileges of employment. For members eligible to retire on or before June 30, 2012, such members shall be eligible for retirement benefits after the age of fifty (50) years and service of twenty (20) years, including service within the division of medical examiners. For members eligible to retire on or after July 1, 2012, such members shall be eligible for retirement benefits in accordance with chapters 8 through 10 of title 36.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 169, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 400, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 408, § 21; P.L. 2011, ch. 409, § 21.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 23 - Health and Safety › Chapter 23-4 - Office of State Medical Examiners › Section 23-4-8. - Procedure for investigation of deaths.

§ 23-4-8. Procedure for investigation of deaths.
(a)
When the office of state medical examiners has notice that there has been found or is lying within this state the body of a person who is supposed to have come to his or her death by violence, or in any manner as stated in § 23-4-7, an agent of the office of state medical examiners shall immediately proceed to the place where the body lies and take charge of it, view it, and make personal inquiry into the cause and manner of death. If the body is found at the residence of the deceased, the agent of the office of state medical examiners shall not remove the body from the residence unless necessary for further postmortem examination or autopsy.
(b)
A health care facility shall disclose any and all information in its possession requested by the state medical examiner or his or her agent in connection with the investigation of the death of a current or former patient to the extent necessary to assist the medical examiner in determining the cause of death.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 169, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 351, § 1.