Bill > H4249

This bill updates the vital statistics record-keeping requirements for local clerks in Massachusetts, specifying the detailed information that must be collected and recorded for births, marriages, and deaths. The bill requires local clerks to capture comprehensive demographic and personal information for each vital record, including specific details such as dates of birth, places of birth, names, residences, gender, marital status, and parental information. For births, the bill clarifies that for children born to unmarried parents, certain parental information will only be recorded if parentage has been legally acknowledged or adjudicated. The bill also specifies that death records should include cause of death classified under international standards, but explicitly prohibits including the deceased's social security number. The legislation is declared an emergency law to ensure immediate implementation, with the changes set to take effect on July 1, 2025. The purpose of the bill appears to be standardizing and expanding the depth of information collected in vital records to improve demographic tracking and record-keeping accuracy.

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4249