Reps. Kristin Marcell (R-Bucks) and Kathy L. Rapp (R-Warren/Crawford/Forest) have authored a letter to Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor requesting an audit of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Division of Vital Records, a division responsible for the issuance and oversight of birth and death records in the Commonwealth.
The request is not for an audit of individual records such as birth and death certificates. Rather, it’s a request to examine the policies, processes and procedures implemented by the division. The letter explains that complaints fielded by the offices of state lawmakers about processing delays have increased significantly in recent years.
If DeFoor deems the issue worthy of an audit, the legislators have requested that he consider several factors, including:
- How the money the department receives for the division is specifically used.
- How the division processes requests for vital records, including how timely these requests are fulfilled.,
- Staff complements to determine whether there are enough individuals to process these requests in a timely manner.
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Credit: PA General Assembly
“Constituents have an expectation their government will work efficiently and timely on their behalf,” said Marcell. “The extended delays in Vital Records performing its responsibilities are unacceptable and must be reviewed. In one instance, delays were caused by an inventory shortage of security paper used to make birth and death certificates. This audit request is about taking a closer look at the division’s policies, staffing and use of resources so we can identify what is causing these delays and implement practical solutions that improve the process for Pennsylvanians.”
Credit: PA General Assembly
“Lengthy delays in receiving these vital records are more than a simple inconvenience,” Rapp said. “It can be massively problematic given these documents are often needed to complete the final disposition of the deceased, to access funds needed to pay for the funeral services selected and to open or administer an estate. It’s bad enough to lose a loved one. Pennsylvanians shouldn’t have to suffer through months of delays to receive a death certificate on top of that loss.”
Credit: FB – Office of Auditor General
Note: Click here to see the unedited copy of the letter to Auditor General DeFoor.