The bill amends sections 23-3-5.1 and 23-3-24 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-3 entitled "Vital Records." It introduces a requirement for the state registrar of vital records to transfer original records of births and marriages that are 100 years or older and death records that are 50 years or older to the state archives at the end of each calendar year. Before transferring these records, the division of vital records must ensure that an electronic copy is provided to all local registrars to facilitate the issuance of accurate or certified copies to the public. Additionally, any amendments to records that are not available in electronic format must be forwarded to the local registrar upon amendment.

The bill also updates the language to be more inclusive by replacing "his or her" with "the registrar's" or "the local registrar's" and clarifies the roles of local registrars. It specifies that local registrars can issue certified copies of any certificate or record in their custody or to which they have access, in a form prescribed by the state director of health or the state archives. The bill ensures that certified copies are considered the same as the original and are prima facie evidence of the facts stated, with certain conditions for certificates filed late or amended. The bill prohibits the unauthorized preparation or issuance of certificates and outlines the conditions under which federal, state, local, and other agencies may be furnished with copies or data for statistical purposes. The act would take effect upon passage.