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                                                                  H.B. No. 2101




AN ACT
relating to heirloom birth certificates. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 192.0021, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 192.0021. HEIRLOOM BIRTH CERTIFICATE. (a) The department shall [may design the form of an heirloom birth certificate and may] promote and sell copies of an heirloom birth [the] certificate. The department shall solicit donated designs for the certificate from Texas artists and select the best donated designs for the form of the certificate. An heirloom birth certificate must contain the same information as, and have the same effect of, a certified copy of another birth record. The department shall prescribe a fee for the issuance of an heirloom birth certificate in an amount that does not exceed $50 [$30]. The heirloom birth certificate must be printed on high-quality paper with the appearance of parchment not smaller than 11 inches by 14 inches. (b) The department shall deposit 50 percent of the proceeds [Proceeds] from the sale of heirloom birth certificates to the credit of the childhood immunization account and the other 50 percent to the credit of the undedicated portion of the general revenue fund. The childhood immunization account is an account in the general revenue fund. Money in the account may be used only by the Department of State Health Services for: (1) making grants to fund childhood immunizations and related education programs; and (2) [shall be deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund. An amount not to exceed the costs of administering this section as determined by the comptroller shall be appropriated to the department for] administering this section. (c) The department may sell an heirloom birth certificate only for an individual born in this state. SECTION 2. As soon as possible after the effective date of this Act, the Department of State Health Services shall begin the process of redesigning the form of the heirloom birth certificate in accordance with Section 192.0021, Health and Safety Code, as amended by this Act. The department may appoint an advisory committee to assist the department in soliciting donated designs and selecting the best designs. Until the new designs are selected, the department shall continue to use the design in use on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005. ______________________________ ______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 2101 was passed by the House on May 13, 2005, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 2101 was passed by the Senate on May 25, 2005, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. ______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor