Title 7 — Human Health Care and Safety.

Unless otherwise specified as used in this chapter, the term: (1) “Court” means the Superior Court of the District of Columbia established by § 11-901. (2) “Day” means calendar day. (3) “Dead body” means a human body or such parts of such human body from the condition of which it…

The Mayor shall establish a vital records system consistent with this chapter for the reporting, maintenance, issuance, and confidentiality of vital records.

The Director of the Department of Health shall appoint the Registrar who shall: (1) Be in charge of administering the vital records system and be the custodian of its records; and (2) Develop and distribute forms or other means for transmitting data to carry out the reporting and…

(a) Each certificate, record, report, and other document required by this chapter shall be on a form or in a format prescribed by the Registrar. (b) Each vital record shall contain the date of registration. (c) Information required in a certificate or report may be filed and regi…

(a) A certificate of birth for each live birth which occurs in the District shall be filed as directed by the Registrar, within 5 days after such birth, and shall be registered if it has been completed and filed in accordance with this chapter. (b) When a birth occurs in or en ro…

(a) A person required to prepare and file a certificate of birth shall provide on a form separate from the certificate of birth, the Social Security account number or numbers of each parent, if the parent has more than 1 Social Security account number. The Social Security account…

(a) A person who assumes legal custody of a live born infant of unknown parentage shall report the following information to the Registrar, within 5 days after taking custody: (1) Date and place child was found; (2) Sex, race, and approximate birth date of child; (3) Name and addr…

(a) A certificate of birth may be filed after the 5-day period specified in § 7-205 if the person or institution filing the certificate meets the filing and registration requirements imposed by this section. The Registrar shall prescribe by regulation evidentiary requirements to …

(a) If a delayed certificate of birth is rejected under § 7-207, a complaint signed and sworn to by the petitioner may be filed with the Court for an order establishing a record of the date and place of the birth and the parentage of the person whose birth is to be registered. A …

(a) The Court shall cause to be prepared an adoption form for each adoption decreed by the Court. The form shall: (1) State facts necessary to locate and identify the original certificate of birth of the adoptee; (2) Provide only such information as is necessary to establish a ne…

(a) The Registrar shall establish a new certificate of birth for a person born in the District, upon receipt of one of the following documents: (1) An adoption form prepared according to § 7-209; (2) An adoption form prepared and filed according to the laws of a state or foreign …

(a) The Registrar shall establish a new certificate of birth that reflects the new gender designation and, if applicable, the new name of an individual born in the District upon receipt of the following documents: (1) A written request, signed under penalty of law, for a new cert…

(a) The funeral director or person acting as such who first takes custody of the dead body shall file a certificate of death. He or she shall obtain the personal data from the next of kin or the best qualified person or source available and obtain the medical certificate required…

(a) A delayed certificate of death may be filed in accordance with regulations issued by the Registrar, when a death occurring in the District has not been registered within the time period specified in § 7-211. Any delayed certificate shall be registered subject to such evidenti…

(a) Each fetal death of 20 completed weeks gestation or more, calculated from the date that the last normal menstrual period began to the date of delivery, or a weight of 500 grams or more, which occurs in the District shall be reported as directed by the Registrar within 5 days …

(a) The funeral director or person acting as such or person who first assumes custody of a dead body, before he or she may dispose of the body, must have: (1) Authorization for final disposition of the body from the next of kin; and (2) a death certificate. If the body is to be c…

(a) Each completed application and completed license for each marriage performed in the District on or after the effective date of this chapter shall be filed with the Registrar and shall be registered if it has been completed and filed in accordance with this chapter. (b) The Co…

(a) A record of each divorce and annulment granted by the Court shall be filed with the Registrar and shall be registered if it has been completed and filed in accordance with this section. The record shall be prepared by the plaintiff or his or her legal representative and shall…

(a) The Registrar shall issue regulations governing amendment of vital records, which shall protect the integrity and accuracy of the vital records. A certificate, or report registered under this chapter may be amended only in accordance with this chapter and regulations issued u…

The Registrar may prepare typewritten, photographic, electronic, or other reproductions of certificates or reports in order to preserve the vital records. Such reproductions shall be accepted as the original records when certified by the Registrar. The documents from which perman…

(a) No person may permit inspection of, disclose information contained in, or copy or issue a copy of any part of a vital record except as authorized by this chapter, regulations issued under and consistent with this chapter, or by order of the Court. Regulations issued under thi…

(a) Upon receipt of a written application the Registrar shall issue a certified copy of all or part of a vital record in his or her custody to any applicant having a direct and tangible interest in the vital record. Each copy issued shall show the date of registration. A copy iss…

(a) The Mayor shall issue regulations that prescribe the fee to be paid for: (1) An amendment or correction to a vital record that is not the fault of the Mayor or a District government agency; (2) A certified copy of a certificate or record; (3) A search of a file or record if n…

(a) A person in charge of an institution shall keep a record of personal data concerning each person admitted or confined to their institution. This record shall only include such information as required under this chapter for completion of certificates of birth and death and the…

(a) A person with information needed to complete a certificate or report required under this chapter regarding any birth, death, fetal death, marriage, divorce, or annulment shall give such information to the Registrar upon request. (b) Not later than the 10th day of the month fo…

The Registrar is authorized to match birth and death certificates in accordance with written regulations issued by the Mayor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the fact of death, and to post the facts of death to the appropriate birth certificate. Copies issued from birth certifi…

(a) A fine of not more than $200 or imprisonment of not more than 90 days, or both, shall be imposed on: (1) Any person who willfully and knowingly violates any of the provisions of this chapter or refuses to perform any of the duties imposed upon him or her by this chapter or re…

The Registrar may issue regulations as necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The regulations shall be issued according to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2.

If any provision of this chapter or its application to a particular person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications.

(a) Sections 7-202, 7-203, and 7-226 (including the authority to issue regulations to implement the entire chapter) shall take effect after a 30-day period of Congressional review following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council of the …