Resolve, To Repeal the Fee Increase for Copies of Vital Records

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Health Data and Program Management intends to quadruple the fee for acquiring vital records of births and deaths; and

Whereas,  access at a reasonable cost to vital records of births and deaths is critical to the well-being of residents of the State; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore, be it

Sec. 1. Emergency rulemaking. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Health Data and Program Management shall by March 1, 2010 adopt rules on an emergency basis to set the fees for obtaining copies of vital records from the office at the same levels as were in effect in September 2009 and, following adoption of the emergency rules, shall complete nonemergency rulemaking to set the fees at the September 2009 levels. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.

summary

This resolve directs the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Health Data and Program Management by March 1, 2010 to adopt emergency routine technical rules and then nonemergency routine technical rules to set the fees for obtaining copies of vital records from the office at the same levels as were in effect in September 2009.