07 March 2011

Maine Bill LD 258 on Open Access to Vital Records Passes Committee Hearing

Please read Maine Bill LD 258 on Open Access to Vital Records Passes Committee Hearing article on EOGN. Due to copyrights I could not copy it here, but I have provided some comments below.
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For the past few years I've been spending countless hours promoting a similar cause in Pennsylvania. Tim Gruber founded a grassroots organization called PaHR-Access to organize efforts to have older PA vital records made public. None of these state records are public in PA. Our bill simply asks for deaths 50+ years on file to become public as well as births past 100 years.

In Maine the goal is to change it from being vital records 100 years old that can be accessed to pretty much everything. The Maine bill is more helpful for genealogists as the options to acquire the vital records will be more open under this proposed bill.
You can read the Maine bill here.

As a supporter of the cause in PA I felt it was only right that I write about what is happening regarding such legislation in Maine. Please support both causes by contacting the appropriate legislators.

As far as PA goes this is how you can help:
We really need the support of the genealogical community. We'd appreciate blog articles highlighting our vital records bill SB 361 and we encourage everyone to contact PA legislators to promote the bill.
Learn more:
http://users.rcn.com/timarg/PaHR-Access
http://twitter.com/PaHR_Access
http://on.fb.me/PaHR-AccessFB
Read the bill here.
Last year it was moved through the Public Health and Welfare Committee, but the session ended and this year it has not yet moved. We are assured it is supported, but they want to hear from more of us.
Two people that influence the bill right now are:
Senator Patricia Vance, Public Health & Welfare Chair
717-787-8524
Dwayne Heckert, Executive Legislative Specialist (PA Health Dept.)
717-783-3985
Please call them to express your support at minimum. Your following up with them continually and your educated promotion of the bill is even better.

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Thanks for your kind and thoughtful comments.