OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ‘TEXAS
AUSTIN
in part a8 fo
‘~&A y&r’ +fniiJh ‘u4et .g. 'j$:hl& *kAg
CitiZOAor the &de of.Tsxar~.~‘rafere t0
oitizsnshipat the time I$ the,birth,
’-‘~*‘(a) or b’~pereon’
XA the ofiae, born in
TBZBS, but whose praatsr reside in Terse
at the.time of h,iebirth,.aA4.who remov-
~34from Tests imme4latalyafter the
birth, iA view of the laA@uWJe Or the
2. JV.A. hvia, State Registrar, Page l!
Su_ortmeCourt in Cobba VI)Coleman,
14 Terns 594, to the wx00t that
‘“BYB~ QitfZOA Or %X?@ ia AOt t0
be taken %A the reatrioted 88~0 as
4eei@Wiing ~oklythe nntivs boxm or
naturalize4oltlzm, but in lts~gen-
SZVA~&OOSptitiOAaAd n~AniA& ae dem-
or$ptive‘of the inhabitantsot the
00untrY*. is much a ~ersoa entitled
“(3)’ xi the qusatlon or oitlzenahl~
is to be 4etermiAe4as at the time ho?
birth under H. B. 014, is the amend-
XU0Atto H. Be 614 passed by the 47th
Le&Uilature,providing that ‘say oiti-
2en or the State 0r T~IUNJwiehing t0
rile the moor4 or any birth . . that
ooourre4 outside or the State 0r Tem~‘,
etc., a nullity, or should the phrase
‘any oitiaen or the,State or Texas’
OOIltainOd illthillOtiOAdlllOAt
XObtfi t0
the oltizanshipat the time the ap-
plloation is rilsd, or If It should
relate only to citizenshipat the time
of the birth, should it be OOArind to
those persons born outsids or Texae 4~4
whom parents were Oiti2eAE of Taxad
at the time of their birth?:~
*A birth oartitioateis considered a atate-
ment ot the.facts surroundina;
the btrth onthe
date or the birth.
“8. Can a eubsequent event uffeot the,
faota exis.tiAgOA the date or the
birth, an4 should suoh a eubsequent~’
event be written kit.0a birth re-
cord? ”
"IPhenthe aertiiioatehas been ooneider-
e4 by the Court an4 additional eVideAOB,
-_.. 8s Aec-
amary, has been submitted 'to establish the
OitiZeAAhipof the individualf%iAg:the oerti-
ri09t6)),as deiined by you
Dr. W. A. Davis, State Registrar, Page 3
"C. Should the Court Order state that the
citizenshipof the person whose birth
oertiricsteIS rile4 as4 the truth-
rulness 0r the statementsmade in the
oertificatehave been establishe4?*
House Bill No. 624, Aots of the 47th Legislature,
Regular Seaslon, 1941, is an aot amending Section 1S oi Sen-
ate Bill No. 46, Chapter 41, page 116, Aota of the 40th Legis-
lature,,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 delayed birth an4 death certificatesby the
probate oourt, the olerk thereor an4 the State Registrar,
and deolariog an 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 $esaioA, as atJleA$edby %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 re-
cord 0r any birth,or death oaourring inside the State or
Texas, not previouslyregistered,may-submit such record to
the probate couPtin the county where 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 ooeur-
ring outside the tite or Texas not previously registeredmay
submit such record to the probate court in the ,countywhere
,he resides, an4 ~declaringan emergenoy.~ .,
(With~reiereacieto the erreot or House Bill No. 624,
supra, upon House Bill~No. 974, supra, and vice versa, we re-
fer you to our oplniqn No. O-%348, bearing datesAugust 18,
1941, an4 addressed to you.)
House Bill No. 624, supra, reads in part as r0ii0wO:
n ,Au4 provi4e4 further, that anyoltizen
or the’siate or Texas wishing to-rile the record
of any birth or death, not previously registered,
say submit to the Probate Court 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 substantiatedby the affidavit of the
medical attendant present at the time of the
birth, or in the case of death, the affidavit
of the physician last in attendance upon the de-
Drr W. A. Davle, Stats Registrar,Paga 4
aeared, or the undertakerwho buried the body.
Tfhen the arrldravit or the’~medloalsttendanbz
or undertakercannot be eecured, the oertlrl-
cats shall.be supported by the arridavlt or
some person.who -+a#aaqualntedwith the’Pacts
surrounding the ,bI.rth or death, et the time
the birth or death ooourred,with a eecond
affidavit oS.some person who 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 aeeessary to establish‘the
altlzenshlpoS the .lndlvidualriling the Cer-
tlrloate, and the truthiulnesso$ the etata-
manta made fn that record. The ,‘lerkor said
Court shall Xorward the oertlrleatetomthe
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 authorized to eaoept the
oertiriostewhen verlrlsd in the above manner,
end shall issue aartlfled oople.8, or such re-
cords a8 provided-forin Seotion PA of this
Act. . ..*.
EioueeBill 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 previously re&etsr-
ad,.nay submit.to the ?robrateCourt 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 clti-
zan or the state or Texas wlehing to file
the record oS any birth or death that OCuur-
red outslde,orthe state oS Texas, not pre-
viouely registereb,may submit to the Probate
Court In the County whore he residea a record
oS that birth or decithwritten on the adopt-
ed forma bf birth and death oertifigatea.
The certilloateshall.be substantiatedby-the
affidavit OS the mediaal attendantrprosent
Dr. W. A. Davis, &ate Registrar, Page 5
at the time ot the birth, or in aese of death,
the eSSldavit or the physician last in atten-
dance upon the deceased, or the undertakerwho
burled the body. Nhen the aifldavit or the
medical attendantvj or undertakercannot be
seaured, the certlfloateshall be supported
by the aifldavit of’some person who was ea-
quainted~ with the Saots surrounding’the birth
or death, at the time the birth or death oa-
aurred, with a seoond erfidevlt or soutoper-
son vyho~-1e’aaqueintrd with the facts sur-
rouhdlngthe birth or death, and who la not related
to the individual by blood or marriage. The
?robate Court shall require suoh other’inror-
mation or evidenceaa may be daeinedneoessary
to establish the oltlzeashlpOS the individual
filihgthe aertlriaata, and the truthrulness
of the statementsmade in that reoord. The
Clerk, or the said Court shell rorward the
oertliiaats to the State hreeu of Vital %a-
tlatlos with an order from the Court to the
Statq heglstrar that the record be, or be
not acoepted.. The State Regletrnr 1s au-
thorized to abaept the aertiSLoatewhen.veri-
rled in the above inamer, and shall issue
certified cropiesof such recorrie as provided
for in Seation 21.of this Mt. Such aerti-
fled copier shall ‘baprim faele evldenoe in
all Courts and,plaoes OS the facts stated
thereon. The state &WQ~U of ~ltal Ytatia-
tlos 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 Ifordsand ?hrases, Per. Ed., Vol. 7, p. 197, and
ths Sollotingpsges am a8 ?ollows;
*In common perlanoe, all people axe clti-
aens.
“A 'CitiZeA'is OAe who owes allauiance to
the state, and he has the right to reciprocal
proteotlon from it.
8~ used in the Constl-
"The word noitl?.eA9,~
tutlon and laws of the United States, ha0 uni-
Sormly aonveyed t,beidea OS membership OS a
nation, and,nothiAgmore.
Dr. W. A. Davis, state pegletrar,Page 6
*A ‘citizen’ ia defined by Webster to be
*a person, native or natulaliaed, who has the
privilege or voting for publie oftloera and
who ie qualified to fill publia offLOes in
the gift of the people1 also either native- ).
born or naturalizedperson, at either sex,
who Is entitled to full proteotion in the
exercise and enjoymentof so-calledprivate .:
rights. Bo~vier. give6 the definitionor
a oitizen in tierloan laws.&a one who -under. “i
the,Conietltutionandlauzzo$the'Unlted ‘i
States has~a right to vats ror Representa-
tire8 Ld Co~greer, and other publfa oCrloer(
and who ilBqualified, to rili oirioea in the
girt Of the-people.~ All psrsons born or
naturalfaed;in'ths United States end sub-
joot to thu juriadiotionthereof, are aiti-
zena of the United States and of the &ate,
wherein they reeide.~ Abbott detinerrit thuer
‘A person who owes alleglanoe to and may
oleirnreofpr~oel~ proteotlon rrom a govern-
ment! one,who.,le ‘a member 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 doetaa,recognitionof women*8 aitlzen- :
shfp involve 6.grent br politiaal. righta,
such es are indeed usually oonferred only
on citizens, but do not inhera In that stat-
UC*
*By *citizen of 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
oontinued to maintain home owned by him wlth-
in state, in whioh he had lived and preo-
tioed professlon~asdentist for over.20 years,
was ‘oitizen*of state, wlthitiVernon’s Ann.
St., Bill of Rights, 1 19, providing that
citlnen 00~11 not be deprived of ISfe, liberty,
property, privllegee, or ifaaunltlea, sxaspt
by due oourse or lsw. iEvansv; American
;i’ubllshing GO., 13 S. 3. 2& 358, 30, lU3
Ter. 433.I4
A. Davis, State Roglatrar,
Dr. 'Ji. Page I
*by ssotlon 0 oi the deolsrntion of the
Texas general oonventioa,it was deolared
that the state suouldgive donations of ltend
to all who volunteered their sorvioea in the
Texas atxuxggl.6 againat Mexiao for fndepend-
en06 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
adoption of suoh deolaratlonbf promised
oltlaenehlp,and who died In her servloo, be-
oame a oltlnea of Texas, thou& his wits
remained in Illlnols until arter hia death,
end that sh8 and his ohildron also thereby
beoma OitizenlJ of Texan, end were thur,en-
titled to bounty lands under ouoh proviaion.~
Hlrcher v. Murray,,24 F. 017, 621.
WCitixenship$18 the state or being veat-
ed with the rights and privileges of a o&t&
Zen.* Abrlf$ovr Stats, 15 3. W. 408."
In view of:the foregoing dotinltioneand the above
mentioned sots, it 1s our o&ion that the texm eany oitizen
of the Stats of Texas* inoludes all those who axe residents
or the State t3r Texas at the time the oertifioate is rim
and also those who were born in Texas although they may now
be altizene or other.statesor countries. In reply to your
8eOOna queetion~8 stated above, we resgeottullyenawer the
Sti in the 58&C!tiV8. The statute (Article4477, Vernon's
Annotated Civlf Statutes) does not authorlee the writing of
SUb68qUent eveuts into the birth maord eroept that when
any aertlflaateof birth of a living oh1l.dla presented
without the statement of the given nme, then the local
registrar shall make 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.ahshall 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 reforenoe to adogtionel eta.)
With referenoe to your third question, it will be
noted that the above mentioned acts speoffloalI.yand expressly
provide "the oerti~ioat%shall be substantiatedby the alri-
davit of the medical attendout present at the tine of the
birth, or in ease of death, the af'fldavitof the phyeiaien
lest in attendance upon the deoeaeed, or the undsrtakerwho
buried the body. '.':heh
the affidavit of the medloal attendant
Dr. VI.A. Davfe, state R8giutrar,,
Tag0 8
Of Ulld8J.‘iXik’
ar
&UIkOt be aeCUl'e&,the 08rtifiOat8Shall be
supported by the affidavit of soawpperqon who was acquelnt-
8d uith the fnote eurroundFn&the blrtri,OF death, at th8
tine the birth or death ooourrad, wi-th'asecond aff'fdavit
of some person who is ampainted with the faots eusrounding
the birth or death, and who Is not related to the indivi-
duel by blood or mrfinge. The Probate Court shallre~ulre
suoh other informationor evideme es nay be deemad nooea-
aary 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 oertifraateto the tat8 RUrOau at vital 3t tiBt~o8
with an ozder~from the 8ourt to the tat8 Re&e%rar hat
the reoord be, or be not, acoe@ed. The State Registrar
is authorizedt0 aOO8pt tke a8rtifiOat8when Vbriii8d ia
the above tuamer, and shall issue certified aopiea of such
reoords a8 provided for in Seation El of this hot.*
The oetiiiioatemust be substantiatedby the
arridavitenentioaed in the a@t. It is our opinion that
the probate court mat deterAn the oitizenshipof the
p8rSOn Whose birth Oertifioate is filed and asoertainthe
truthfulnessof 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.eriled and the truthfulneoaof the ebatomentemade r8la-
tive thereto have bean established. The statute only re-
qulrea 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 ifi-
quiry, we are
Pour13very truly
i.