Texas Senate’s Sen. Royce West authors bill altering delayed birth certificate review process

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Royce West aims to modify the delayed birth certificate application process by adjusting criteria for evidence evaluation and registration requirements for certain birth records, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the House, 51 Democrats and 82 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Royce West introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

West graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BA and again from University of Houston with an MA.

West, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 1993 to represent the state’s 23rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Eddie Bernice Johnson.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the application review process for certain delayed birth certificates’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Health and Safety Code to alter the application review process for delayed birth certificates in Texas. It prohibits the state registrar from rejecting an application based solely on inconsistencies within supporting evidence if, by a preponderance of the evidence, the applicant’s identity and place of birth can be determined. The registrar must consider supporting evidence that raises questions about the applicant’s birthplace, a valid driver’s license or ID, and a verified affidavit from someone with personal knowledge of the applicant. Additionally, for individuals born before Jan. 1, 1959, if one parent’s identity is verifiable and non-contradictory to available information, the registrar shall register the certificate with only that parent’s name. The bill is set to take effect Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. César Blanco (Democrat – District 29).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Sunday, May 25, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.