Bill > AB64

This bill addresses the recording of diacritical marks (such as accents, tildes, umlauts, and cedillas) on vital records in California. Starting no earlier than two years after legislative funding, the State Registrar will require diacritical marks to be properly recorded on birth, death, marriage, and fetal death certificates when applicable. The bill allows individuals to correct previously registered documents that lack diacritical marks by filing an affidavit with the State Registrar or county clerk beginning July 1, 2026. The absence or presence of a diacritical mark will not invalidate a document, and the State Registrar can remove these marks when sharing data with government agencies. Additionally, the bill increases the additional fee for certified copies of vital records from $3 to $5, with the collected funds supporting vital record system improvements and health data analysis. The legislation aims to ensure more accurate representation of names on official documents while providing a process for individuals to correct historical records that may not have captured the nuanced spelling of their names.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB64