floridahealth.gov Electronic Death Registration : Florida Department of Health

Name of the Organization : Florida Department of Health
Type of Facility : Electronic Death Registration
State : Florida
Country : United States of America

Website : http://www.floridahealth.gov/certificates/certificates/EDRS/index.html
Vital Registration : https://www.statusin.org/uploads/24071vitalregistration.pdf

Electronic Death Registration :

The Bureau of Vital Statistics :
** Vital Statistics has implemented the e-Vitals Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) in the Medical Examiner Districts across the state of Florida.

Related : Florida Department of Health Ordering a Death Certificate : www.statusin.org/24058.html

** Death records are essential for the just administration of our law and for the protection of individual rights.
** In addition, the statistical data from these records are of great value to public health and other agencies.
** The need for accurate statistical data on the causes of death was instrumental in establishing the Electronic Death Registration System.

** Before today, the process of registering and recording a death was a slow and laborious paper process, requiring travel to and from the local county Health Department along with the record having to pass through multiple units within the county and state offices.

** EDRS has simplified this process by allowing funeral directors to initiate a death registration directly to the state database.
** Along with online medical certifiers, the entire registration process has been reduced from several weeks to just a few days, in most cases.

Certification of death record :
** Death record showing the cause of death is confidential and issuance of certification is restricted based on s.382.025, Florida Statutes; cause of death may be issued to
1. “To the registrant’s spouse or parent or to the registrant’s child, grandchild, or sibling if of legal age…”
a. Spouse
b. Parent
c. Child
d. Grandchild
e. Sibling
2. Any person providing a will, insurance policy or other document demonstrating their interest in the estate of the decedent;
3. Any person who provides documentation that they are acting on behalf of any of them; or under court order;
4. A valid photo ID is required.

Certification of fetal death record :
** Because of the confidential nature of the birth related information and the cause of death information on the fetal death record, there is only a small amount of information available for public record issuance;

** parentage marital status, and medical information are confidential per s. 382.008, (6), Florida Statutes, and must be redacted before issuing the certified copy.

** Anyone may obtain a certification of the non confidential portion of the record, but the confidential portion, ID required, can only be issued to –
1. The parents listed;
2. A legal representative of the parents listed;
3. The public record information and the cause of death information may be issued to a sibling.

A certification of the original certificate of marriage :
** may be obtained for marriages taking place in our state subsequent to June 6, 1927.
** Information on marriages occurring before that date must be obtained from the court issuing the marriage license.

A Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth :
** is created and issued upon the parent’s request.
** Section 382.0085, Florida Statutes, allows for the creation and issuance of this special certification for a fetal death.
** The issuance comes from the state office only and there must already be a fetal death certificate on file.
** Subsequent to the initial request, the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth becomes available as a public record;
** the certification is not considered proof of a live birth; and copies are available from 1947 to the present.
** An informational brochure, How to Apply for a Florida Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth, is available to the funeral director when meeting with families.
** Contact the CDR for a supply.

Need For Registration :
** Birth records have long been a statement of facts important to the protection of individual and property rights.

** Proof of age is now needed for employment, to enter school, to obtain a driver’s license, to obtain a marriage license, to register to vote, to qualify for pension and retirement benefits, and for other purposes.

** Proof of parentage is needed for welfare assistance, veteran’s benefits, social security benefits to dependents, and inheritance of property.
** Proof of citizenship is needed for employment and for obtaining a United States passport.
** The birth record is a fundamental document where proof is required of age, citizenship, or family relationship.

When Must A Birth Record Be Filed :
** Within five days after the date of each birth, the hospital administrator or designated representative of the facility where the birth occurred, or if the birth is non-institutional, the attendant at such birth, is required to register a complete and accurate birth record with the local registrar of the county in which birth occurred.

** The hospital must maintain at least a 95% compliance rate for filing birth records on time.
** If this is not maintained, an action plan on what is being done to reach this goal must be filed by the hospital with the county office.

** Recurring situations of noncompliance can result in a possible administrative complaint being filed and possible fines levied for every day a record is late.