Bureau of Vital Statistics in Texas OR Big Brother is Watching US

CENTRAL RECORD FILE; VITAL STATISTICS Sec. 108.001. TRANSMITTAL OF RECORDS OF SUIT BY CLERK. (a) Except as provided by this chapter, the clerk of the court shall transmit to the bureau of vital statistics a certified record of the order rendered in a suit, together with the name and all prior names, birth date, and place of birth of the child prepared by the petitioner on a form provided by the bureau. (b) The bureau of vital statistics shall maintain these records in a central file according to the name, birth date, and place of birth of the child, the court that rendered the order, and the docket number of the suit. (c) Except as otherwise provided by law, the records required under this section to be maintained by the bureau of vital statistics are confidential. Sec. 108.002. DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE RECORDS MAINTAINED BY CLERK. A clerk may not transmit to the central record file the pleadings, papers, studies, and records Sec. 108.003. TRANSMITTAL OF INFORMATION REGARDING ADOPTION. (a) The clerk of a court that renders a decree of adoption shall, not later than the 10th day of the first month after the month in which the adoption is rendered, transmit to the central registry of the bureau of vital statistics certified report of adoption that includes: (1) the name of the adopted child after adoption as shown in the adoption order; (2) the birth date of the adopted child; (3) the docket number of the adoption suit; (4) the identity of the court rendering the adoption; (5) the date of the adoption order; (6) the name and address of each parent, guardian, managing conservator, or other person whose consent to adoption was required or waived under Chapter 162, or whose parental rights were terminated in the adoption suit; (7) the identity of the licensed child placing agency, if any, through which the adopted child was placed for adoption; and (8) the identity, address, and telephone number of the registry through which the adopted child may register as an adoptee. (b) Except as otherwise provided by law, for good cause shown, or on an order of the court that granted the adoption or terminated the proceedings under Section 155.001, the records concerning a child maintained by the district clerk after rendition of a decree of adoption, the records of a child-placing agency that has ceased operations, and the records required under this section to be maintained by the bureau of vital statistics are confidential, and no person is entitled to access to or information from these records. (c) If the bureau of vital statistics determines that a report filed with the bureau under this section requires correction, the bureau shall mail the report directly to an attorney of record with respect to the adoption. The attorney shall return the corrected report to the bureau. If there is no attorney of record, the bureau shall mail the report to the clerk of the court for correction. Sec. 108.004. TRANSMITTAL OF FILES ON LOSS OF JURISDICTION. On the loss of jurisdiction of a court under Chapter 155, the clerk of the court shall transmit to the central registry of the bureau of vital statistics a certified record, on a form provided by the bureau, stating that jurisdiction has been lost, the reason for the loss of jurisdiction, and the name and all previous names, date of birth, and place of birth of the child. Sec. 108.005. ADOPTION RECORDS RECEIVED BY BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS. (a) When the bureau of vital statistics receives a record from the district clerk showing that continuing, exclusive jurisdiction of a child has been lost due to the adoption of the child, the bureau shall close the records concerning that child. (b) An inquiry concerning a child who has been adopted shall be handled as though the child had not previously been the subject of a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. Sec. 108.006. FEES. (a) The bureau of vital statistics may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of determining and sending information concerning the identity of the court with continuing, exclusive jurisdiction. (b) On the filing of a suit requesting the adoption of a child, the clerk of the court shall collect an additional fee of $15. (c) The clerk shall send the fees collected under Subsection (b) to the bureau of vital statistics for deposit in a special fund in the state treasury from which the legislature may appropriate money only to operate and maintain the central file and central registry of the bureau. (d) The receipts from the fees charged under Subsection (a) shall be deposited in a financial institution as determined by the director of the bureau of vital statistics and withdrawn as necessary for the sole purpose of operating and maintaining the central record file. Sec. 108.007. MICROFILM. (a) The bureau of vital statistics may use microfilm or other suitable means for maintaining the central record file. (b) A certified reproduction of a document maintained by the bureau of vital statistics is admissible in evidence as the original document. Sec. 108.008. FILING INFORMATION AFTER DETERMINATION OF PATERNITY. (a) On a determination of paternity, the petitioner shall provide the clerk of the court in which the order was rendered the information necessary to prepare the report of determination of paternity. The clerk shall: (1) prepare the report on a form provided by the Bureau of Vital Statistics; and (2) complete the report immediately after the order becomes final. (b) On completion of the report, the clerk of the court shall forward to the state registrar a report for each order that became final in that court. Sec. 108.009. BIRTH CERTIFICATE. (a) The state registrar shall substitute a new birth certificate for the original based on the order in accordance with laws or rules that permit the correction or substitution of a birth certificate for an adopted child or a child whose parents marry each other subsequent to the birth of the child. (b) The new certificate may not show that the father and child relationship was established after the child's birth but may show the child's actual place and date of birth. Sec. 108.110. RELEASE OF INFORMATION BY BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS. (a) The bureau of vital statistics shall provide to the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services: (1) adoption information as necessary for the department to comply with federal law or regulations regarding the compilation or reporting of adoption information to federal officials; and (2) other information as necessary for the department to administer its duties. (b) The bureau may release otherwise confidential information from the bureau's central record files to another governmental entity that has a specific need for the information and maintains appropriate safeguards to prevent further dissemination of the information.