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Committee hears bill to remove birth-certificate fees and broaden alternative documents for school and early learning enrollment
Summary
Substitute Senate Bill 5030 would waive the $25 fee for birth certificates when a child is eligible for SNAP or state food benefits and is enrolling in early learning or public school, and require schools and ECAP contractors to accept a range of alternative documents for proof of date of birth
Substitute Senate Bill 50-30 would remove the $25 fee for a birth-certificate certification or search when the request is by a parent or guardian of a child who is eligible for or receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the State Food Assistance Program and is enrolling that child in an early learning program or a public school.
Luke Wickham, committee counsel, explained that the Department of Health maintains vital records and currently charges $25 for a certification or search, with limited statutory exemptions. The bill removes the fee in the enrollment circumstances described and directs the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to adopt rules requiring ECAP contractors, early childhood education providers, and public schools to accept birth certificates, passports, and alternative documents to show a child's age or date of birth for enrollment purposes.
Wickham said the bill lists illustrative alternative documents "including, but not limited to, a religious, hospital, or physician certificate showing the date of birth, an entry in a family bible, an adoption record, an affidavit from a parent, or a previously verified school record." Alexandra Klifthorn, a mental health specialist with experience in Head Start and ECAP, testified as a private citizen in favor of the bill. Klifthorn described cases where families who experienced homelessness lost birth certificates, creating barriers to enrollment and access to early-intervention services, and said the bill’s expanded proofs of age would help connect children to speech, occupational therapy, and other services.
The committee heard testimony and closed the public hearing. Committee members asked no detailed procedural questions and did not take executive action at the hearing.
