Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 4.djvu/879

 PUBLIC LAW 104-208—SEPT. 30, 1996 110 STAT. 3009 -716 dispute resolution process in chapter 20 of the North American Free Trade Agreement for the violation. SEC. 656. IMPROVEMENTS IN IDENTIFICATION-RELATED DOCUMENTS. 5 USC 301 note. (a) BIRTH CERTIFICATES. — (1) STANDARDS FOR ACCEPTANCE BY FEDERAL AGENCIES.— (A) IN GENERAL. — (i) GENERAL RULE. —Subject to clause (ii), a Federal agency may not accept for any official purpose a certificate of birth, unless the certificate— (I) is a birth certificate (as defined in paragraph (3)); and (II) conforms to the standards set forth in the regulation promulgated under subparagraph (B). (ii) APPLICABILITY.— Clause (i) shall apply only to a certificate of birth issued after the day that is 3 years after the date of the promulgation of a final regulation under subparagraph (B). Clause (i) shall not be construed to prevent a Federal agency from accepting for official purposes any certificate of birth issued on or before such day. (B) REGULATION.— (i) CONSULTATION WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.— The President shall select 1 or more Federal agencies to consult with State vital statistics offices, and with other appropriate Federal agencies designated by the President, for the purpose of developing appropriate standards for birth certificates that may be accepted for official purposes by Federal agencies, as provided in subparagraph (A). (ii) SELECTION OF LEAD AGENCY. —Of the Federal agencies selected under clause (i), the President shall select 1 agency to promulgate, upon the conclusion of the consultation conducted under such clause, a regulation establishing standards of the type described in such clause. (iii) DEADLINE.— The agency selected under clause (ii) shall promulgate a final regulation under such clause not later than the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (iv) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.— The standards established under this subparagraph— (I) at a minimum, shall require certification of the birth certificate by the State or local custodian of record that issued the certificate, and shall require the use of safety paper, the seal of the issuing custodian of record, and other features designed to limit tampering, counterfeiting, and photocopying, or otherwise duplicating, the birth certificate for fraudulent purposes; (II) may not require a single design to which birth certificates issued by all States must conform; and (III) shall accommodate the differences between the States in the manner and form in

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