Board of Scientific Counselors – Presentations

September 17-18, 2007

Back to September 2007 Presentations

A Secure Vital Registration System for the 21st Century

PowerPoint Presentation [PDF – 1 MB]

Slide 1

A Secure Vital Registration System for the 21st Century

Slide 2

9/11 Commission and Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA)

Slide 3

General Issues

• ID Theft: Birth Certificate is a breeder document for identification
• The “system” is not secure and not responsive for ID needs – It’s broke
• Vital Registration until now has been completely controlled by State Law
• How to make registration systems and procedures more secure and responsive but keep under state control

Slide 4

Specific Issues

• Security of paper
• Security of systems and practices collecting data
• Security of systems and practices issuing certificates
• Ability to match birth and death records
• Ability to transmit records within and between States

Slide 5

Philosophy of Regulation Development

• Maintain a state-based birth registration and certification system – ownership with the States.
• Make a more secure, timely, responsive birth registration and certification system by improving security of collection, handling & issuing of birth certificates
• Make a more connected birth certificate system by improving flow of information within and between States and between the States and the Federal Govt.
• Make no death registration regulations except as necessary to make birth certificates more secure.
• Make no new Federal data systems – just make existing systems and processes more secure

Slide 6

What needs to happen?

• More secure and responsive registration of vital events which will require
• Automation at the source to assure
• The ability to electronically transfer vital events within and between States and federal partners in real time

Slide 7

Responsibilities for IRTPA

• HHS has the lead to develop vital standards but
• Has to involve other impacted Federal Agencies and
• CDC/NCHS is coordinating the effort for HHS
• State Registrars were directly involved in providing recommendations

Slide 8

Other Federal & State Agencies Involved

• DHS including Secret Service
• Justice Department including FBI
• State Department
• SSA
• DOT
• GPO
• State Vital Registrars

Slide 9

Where are we?

• Federal Agency reps and State Registrar reps have provided recommendations for draft standards
• Contractor has developed the draft regs and is undertaking the economic and Federalism impact of the regs
• Draft regs are at HHS for review
• Hope to publish in Federal Register in the new year.

Slide 10

Potential for Help

• For the first time – will create Federal regulations for vital registration processing and issuance
• Will require an environment to assure timely and secure information on birth records (EBR’s and EDR’s) and
• Which will impact death registration systems … by requiring immediate matching of birth and death records
• And systems to transfer data

Slide 11

What will this mean for HHS and NCHS?

• A more secure, timely, responsive, connected … a more Vital …vital registration system which can
• Once again be the premier public health surveillance system for emerging diseases, flu as well as provide core public health measures and the beginning and end point for electronic health records; and for
• Administrative needs – e.g. CMS for swift citizenship documentation for Medicaid