Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 007 - ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Division 16 - Public Health Programs › Rule 007.16.22-001 - Rules for the Administration of Vital Records

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
AUTHORITY
The following Rules for Administration of Vital Records are
				duly adopted and promulgated by the Arkansas State Board of Health pursuant to
				the authority expressly conferred by the laws of the State of Arkansas, Act
				1254 of 1995.
RULE 1.0. DUTIES OF
			 STATE REGISTRAR OF VITAL RECORDS
(Reference: Section 7 of Act 1254)
(a) The State Registrar, under the direction
			 of the State Board of Health, shall execute and enforce the provisions of the
			 laws and the Rules and supervise registrars, to the end that all of the
			 requirements shall be uniformly complied with. The Registrar shall have
			 authority to investigate cases of irregularity or violation of law, personally
			 or by accredited representative, and all local registrars and their deputies
			 shall aid the Registrar, upon request, in such investigations. The Registrar
			 shall report cases of violation of any of the provisions of the laws and rules
			 to the prosecuting attorney of the proper county, with a statement of facts and
			 circumstances.
(b) The State
			 Registrar shall have the authority to cross-reference birth and death
			 certificates on file for the same individual by stamping on the face
			 information necessary to show relation of the two certificates.
(c) Upon demand of the State Registrar in
			 person, mail, or through the local registrar, all physicians, coroners,
			 midwives, administrators in institutions, informants, nurse midwives, circuit
			 or county clerks, or funeral directors, and all other persons having knowledge
			 of the facts, shall furnish such information as they may possess regarding any
			 live birth, death, fetal death, marriage, divorce or annulment.
RULE 1.1 REGISTRATION DISTRICTS
The local county health unit in each county shall serve as
				registration district for the deaths occurring in the county until notified
				otherwise by the State Registrar. The Central Office shall serve as the site of
				registration for births and fetal deaths. State Registrar may designate
				additional offices.
RULE 1.2
			 FORMS
(Reference: Section 5(a)(5) of Act 1254 of 1995)
All forms, certificates and reports used in the system of vital
				records are the property of the Board and shall be surrendered to the State
				Registrar upon demand. The forms prescribed and distributed by the State
				Registrar for reporting vital records shall be used only for official purposes.
				No forms shall be used in the reporting of vital records or making copies
				thereof, except those furnished or approved by the State Registrar. Electronic
				data records will be accepted only when standards set by the State Registrar
				are met.
RULE 1.3
			 REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARATION OF CERTIFICATES
Legacy records refer to records which are issued from paper or
				a digital image of a paper record. All legacy certificates and records relating
				to vital records must either be prepared on a typewriter with a black ribbon or
				printed legibly in black, unfading ink. All signatures required shall be
				entered in black, unfading ink. Unless otherwise directed by the State
				Registrar, no certificate shall be complete and correct and acceptable for
				registration:
(a) That does not have
			 the certifier's name typed or printed legibly;
(b) That does not supply all items of
			 information called for thereon or satisfactorily account for their
			 omission;
(c) That contains
			 alterations or erasures;
(d) That
			 does not contain handwritten signatures as required;
(e) That is marked "copy" or
			 "duplicate";
(f) That is a carbon
			 copy;
(g) That is prepared on an
			 improper form;
(h) That contains
			 improper or inconsistent data;
(i)
			 That contains an indefinite cause of death which denotes only symptoms of
			 disease or conditions resulting from disease;
(j) That is not prepared in conformity with
			 rules or instructions issued by the State Registrar.
Electronic records refer to records which are issued from an
				electronic database of information. All portions of the record that have been
				prepared on paper must meet the same requirements as legacy records. Portions
				of the record that have been entered directly into the database must:
(a) Contain all items of information called
			 for thereon or satisfactorily account for their omission;
(b) Must not contain an indefinite cause of
			 death which denotes only symptoms of disease or conditions resulting from
			 disease;
(c) Be attested to be
			 correct by a qualified funeral director or certifier who has personally
			 accessed the record with a previously assigned user identification and complex
			 password.
RULE 1.4
			 APPOINTMENT OF LOCAL REGISTRAR AND DEPUTY REGISTRARS
Each local registrar or deputy local registrar of vital records
				shall be notified of his appointment or reappointment in writing, setting forth
				the registration district and duties of his office.
The State Registrar shall appoint not less than one person to
				be local registrar for deaths in each county. Each person so appointed shall
				receive a written notice setting forth the area for which he or she is to be
				responsible for promoting and supervising vital registration.
Each local registrar shall appoint and submit to the State
				Registrar, the name of the person or persons who are to act as deputy local
				registrars.
RULE 1.5 REMOVAL
			 OF LOCAL REGISTRARS AND DEPUTY LOCAL REGISTRARS
Failure to carry out the provisions of the Vital Statistics Act
				and rules adopted thereunder or conduct that may impair operation of the vital
				records system shall be considered reasonable cause for removal of the local
				registrar or deputy local registrar for vital records by the State Registrar.
				Notification of such action shall be in writing.