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Bill would waive birth-certificate fees for people leaving prison to ease reentry barriers
Summary
House Bill 5349 would exempt certain incarcerated people from paying fees for a first request for vital records (such as birth certificates). The DOC reentry manager testified the department already helps obtain vital documents and supported the bill as a practical reentry aid.
House Bill 5349 would exempt certain incarcerated people from paying fees for a first request for vital records from the Department of Health, such as certified birth certificates, which advocates and DOC reentry staff said are crucial to secure housing, employment and benefits upon release.
Heather Gaydos, the Department of Corrections reentry services manager, told the committee the DOC already supports reentering people by helping process hundreds of vital-record applications and by securing free Social Security cards and DMV ID vouchers through interagency agreements. Gaydos said nearly 300 birth-certificate applications were processed by DOC reentry staff in the prior year and that waiving the fee would eliminate a practical barrier to timely reentry.
Supporters said that without birth certificates and other vital documents, reentering individuals face unnecessary delays that increase the risk of homelessness and recidivism. The DOC requested reconsideration in the prior session and the bill passed the Senate last year but not the House, Gaydos said.
The committee held the bill for further study under the earlier procedural motion.
