(a) There is established in the state Bureau for Public Health a section of vital statistics which shall install, maintain and operate the only system of vital statistics throughout this state.

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 16-5-2

  • Bureau: means the Bureau for Public Health within the Department of Health and Human Resources. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
  • System of vital statistics: means the registration, collection, preservation, amendment, certification of vital records, the collection of other reports required by this article, and related activities, including, but not limited to, the tabulation, analysis, publication and dissemination of vital statistics. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Vital statistics: means the data derived from certificates and reports of birth, death, fetal death, marriage, divorce, annulment and related records and reports. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1

(b) The section of vital statistics shall be provided with sufficient staff, suitable offices with a fireproof vault and a nonliquid fire suppression system for the protection of paper records and magnetic media and other resources for the proper administration of the system of vital statistics and for the preservation and security of its official records.