This week, people planning to order a duplicate birth certificate will have to pay double what they would have if they'd ordered it last month.
A bill increases the fee for copies of birth certificates from $10 to $20. It will be the first time the fee has been increased since 2004, when it was increased from $4, according to The Associated Press.
Local legislators supported the measure, House Bill 316 which became Act 28 of 2014 in April, since it's an effort to raise funds to establish more child advocacy centers in an effort to prevent child abuse, Sen. David Argall, R-29, said Sunday.
"My record is clear. I have voted against every tax increase and nearly every user fee as a state representative. Recently, I stood up to my own party to vote against a transportation bill that relied too heavily on a gas tax and increased user fees on driver licenses and vehicle registrations. In this case, the constituents who visit my district office for duplicate birth certificates have all been understanding of the fee increase since it is being put toward the protection and treatment of children," Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, said Monday.
The law came at the suggestion of the PA Task Force on Child Protection, which was comprised of experts on child abuse prevention formed in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, according to Argall and state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123.
According to the 2011 Annual Child Abuse Report published by the Department of Public Welfare, 34 children died in Pennsylvania as a result of abuse. In 2010, the department reported that 33 children died at the hands of perpetrators. In 2011, there were more than 3,400 substantiated cases of child abuse in Pennsylvania, state Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, said Tuesday.
"The task force's final report stated that child advocacy centers should be within a two-hour drive of every child in the state and the General Assembly shall provide seed money for the establishment of new child advocacy centers," Argall said.
"The task force called for a reliable funding source," Goodman said Monday.
"The state currently has 23 centers and 67 counties, leaving many rural counties, like the district I represent, underserved or unserved. I believe the investment will go a long way to preventing future child abuse and providing our next generation with a valuable resource and professional help they need," Argall said.
"Child advocacy centers help prosecutors gather the evidence they need to put perpetrators away all while minimizing the trauma to the child because of the one-stop setting. More importantly, they are very effective at helping the child begin to heal," Goodman said.
"One of the core functions of government is to protect those who can't protect themselves. Abused children are at the top of the list to me. Rather than increase taxes for every resident, increasing a user fee on people who have lost or misplaced documents the government can replace seems reasonable," Knowles said.
"Before HB 316 was enacted into law, there was no dedicated stream of funding for children's advocacy centers at the Commonwealth level. It is anticipated that the bill will raise $2.86 million per year for children's advocacy centers and multidisciplinary investigative teams. Additionally, in fiscal year 2015-2016 and each year thereafter, it is anticipated that $953,000 per year will go to the Department of Public Welfare for training of mandated reporters and for other costs related to child abuse," Tobash said.
"Under the bill, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will administer a grant program in order to provide funding to children's advocacy centers and multidisciplinary investigative teams," Tobash said.
The prime sponsor of House Bill 316, an act amending The Administrative Code of 1929, was Rep. Julie Harhart, R-183.
In the Senate vote March 19, it passed with a unanimous 49 votes, according to the senate's website.
In the House vote March 31, it passed in a vote of 197 to 5. Local officials who gave it thumbs up included Goodman, Knowles and Tobash, according to the website for the House.
Gov. Tom Corbett signed legislation April 7, according to The AP.
Monday was the last day to obtain certificates at $10, excluding processing and delivery fee, according to the department of health's website.
The Division of Vital Records maintains records of births which occurred from 1906 to the present. Certified copies of birth certificates with a raised seal are issued and acceptable for various uses, such as personal identification, employment, passport application and Social Security, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.
According to the site, there are three ways to obtain a certified copy of a birth certificate:
- Order online through the state Department of Health website.
- Order by contacting the department by mail.
- Order in person at one of six of the department's designated offices, located in Erie, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Scranton, New Castle or Philadelphia.