OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
HonorableW. A. Davie
State llegirtlrrv
of Vltbl Statfrtlar
Iorar Mate ,Bobrdof Eealth
Awtln. Zexar
Dear lllat
Your VPitten thlr department,
dated Nbrah 21, 1941, ha6 been received
and aon81dered.
r) you to ooaulder
flaate, aad adtim
aertifiaafe bhould
ed by the 2eur Leglelature In
1939, the 46tb Leglulatum, parsed Houm Bill lo*
7 , the oaptioa of whiab Aat reads aa iollovrt
614 (Pp.346
"An Aat ameadlngSeations14 8nd 1.8of
. !533
HonorableV. A. LIevIa,Page 2
QupteP 41 of the A&8 of the FortiethLeg-
Iglatur6,First Oalled &88ion, 00 a8 to
providefor the flllag of the birth record
of an adoptedohlld fn the loaal reglstrar'r
offlae;and providingfor a ahsagela the
bLrth reoord of a oatId vhea that ahlld la
legltIm8tIred by the marrlageof 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 additionto nmndIng Seation14 ii80
amended8ectlon18 of Chapter 41 of the Aatr of the 40th Lieglr-
lature,Piret Caled 8688ion (8hovnIn Veraon 01~11 Matutor
a8 Art10104477, Rule 51r). &ctloa 18 nov prOYid68 In part a8
fpllovrr
“And provided further,that 01tir;m
of the State of 2exar.wlohlag tb "T ii 0 the
recordof m birth or death, not prevlou8ly
reglstwad, amy sutmlt to the Prohte Court
la the aotuaty vhere the birth or death oa-
aurred,a reoord of that birth or death vrit-
ten on the adoptedform of birth and death
oertlfiaater.2he certlflcate shallbe
rubrtaatlated by the affidavitof the medlcbl
e&ten&& prerentat the time of the birth,
or in case of death, the affldaoltOS the
phy~lolanlast la attendmoe upoa the de-
oeaasd, or the uadertaker vho buried the
body. When the affidavitof the medloal
attemdantor und6rtelce~ oaauotb6 8eau.r6d,
the Sertlfleate8hal.l be supportedby the
affidavitof mme person u2ravaa acquainted
with the feat8 aurroundlngth6 birth OF
death,at the tins the birth oc death w-
aurred, with a ssoond affldavlt of 8cm8
pemun who 20 a6qualated pith the fact8
aQrmw&q the birth or death and vho Is not
relatedto the ladlvldual by blood or marrlsge.
2heProbnte Mart ahallmquire nrohothar in-
fomtion or evldenaea8 may be deemedneoe8-
rary to ertabllahthe oltimnrhip of.the
ladlvidu8lfIlIng the oortlflaata, aml the
truthfulness of the crtatementrmade la that
reaord. The Clerk of the aaid Court shall
forunrdthe aertlfloatoto the State Bureau
of Vital UtatI8tlo8vlth an order from the
Court to th6 State l?egIstrar
that the
:,
.. 534
‘.,
Honomble V. A. ,&via, Page 3
recordbe, or b. not, aoaepted. 2he lItate
Regirtr8r IS lutho~lred to 8ocept the certi-
flaate 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'Ili8hth6 fON
upon vhIch 8uoh reeorde are filed, 8nd no
other form &all be \?8edfor,thrt purpose.*
ft vi11 be noticed ihat the p&ate aourt is given
aonslderable latitude, b7 the above quoted Statute, to deter-
nine the truthf%&err or to a8aertal.niPtonmtlon~neaea8ar7 to
and the birth or death of an7 persoa
Thl8 pYXXIoa~ rtatute ap-
app1Ioabl.eto the establlsh-
ment of the blpth or death of a altl8en that has not been reg-
%ste*ed prevlou817. The statute, it 8eems to u8, clear17 pro-
vider 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 PO-
wired 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
intention18 menlfeqt In the phrase used la the ml'gellC7 e1ause
Of the Act referredto above, vhIah rays in pm-t "that the prer-
ent lar do08 not~deflaItel7 define lasthod b7 vhioh birth and
death, not prevlou8l7 ed m7 be reglstemd.' Ob~lou817
the purpone of the nev Act Section 18, a8 ueaded) vao Intended
to Provide a mean8 of regl8tratIon whloh hsd not t&qre-
tofore exl8ted. We sea find nothIng In the hat~whioh yould Indi-
defeat a registration made ln aom-
We ~llcrve-t~~uertifiosts I8 duly verified ln the
*a nndr r eq uir bed
yth eltatuteshereIn 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 prOPer nnd
the fOF4LSrubmltted (Lr'b
h@mS been duly approvqd'and this opinion $8 vrltten upon such
a88umptlon.
y- 535
. Davi8, Page 4
?OB ti Of the Maeons diSCUS~#d VO am Of th0 Opinion
end 70~ are SO edvised that the StateReglatrarof Vitrf Statis-
ties is authorixedand shouldaccept and file the oertifloate
and reoord la the oase referredto la your lnqulrg.
Ye trunt that ve have f’ull7SnxwerQdyour inquiry.
Very truly 7oure
m AFR 16, 1941
A2’fOlWEX
OBRERAL OPTEUS
ATTORNEY GENERAL