HB 341: Clarifying Requirements for Birth Certificate Applications

This bill passed the house 74-0 and passed the Senate 27-0.

Justified concerns were expressed by Utahns after it came to light that the Department of Health was requiring new mothers to answer invasive questions to obtain their infants’ birth certificates. House Bill 341, sponsored by Representative Candice Pierucci, looks to correct these issues. This bill ensures future harms do not occur and prevents new mothers from being coerced into participating in research without their consent.

HB 341 bans the Department of Health (DOH) from forcing individuals to provide information irrelevant to the department’s compliance with federal standards and contracts. DOH may request additional information provided individuals provide informed consent. To comply with consent requirements, DOH must disclose how additional information will be used, the duration of use, and provide a description of how the department intends to prevent information from being used for a different purpose in the future. 

Lastly, this bill requires the state of Utah to automatically send a copy of a child’s birth certificate to the child’s parent or guardian, free of charge.