(a) The records and files of the division of public health pertaining to vital statistics shall be open to inspection, subject to the provisions of the uniform vital statistics act and rules and regulations of the secretary. It shall be unlawful for any officer or employee of the state to disclose data contained in vital statistical records, except as authorized by the uniform vital statistics act and the secretary, and it shall be unlawful for anyone who possesses, stores or in any way handles vital statistics records under contract with the state to disclose any data contained in the records, except as authorized by law.

(b) No information concerning the birth of a child shall be disclosed in a manner that enables determination that the child was born out of wedlock, except upon order of a court in a case where the information is necessary for the determination of personal or property rights and then only for that purpose, or except that employees of the office of child support enforcement of the federal department of health and human services shall be provided information when the information is necessary to ensure compliance with federal reporting and audit requirements pursuant to title IV-D of the federal social security act or except that the secretary for children and families or the secretary’s designee performing child support enforcement functions pursuant to title IV-D of the federal social security act shall be provided information and copies of birth certificates when the information is necessary to establish parentage in legal actions or to ensure compliance with federal reporting and audit requirements pursuant to title IV-D of the federal social security act. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as exempting such employees of the federal department of health and human services or the secretary for children and families or the secretary’s designee from the fees prescribed by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-2418, and amendments thereto.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (b), and amendments thereto, the state registrar shall not permit inspection of the records or issue a certified copy or abstract of a certificate or part thereof unless the state registrar is satisfied the applicant therefor has a direct interest in the matter recorded and the information contained in the record is necessary for the determination of personal or property rights. The state registrar’s decision shall be subject, however, to review by the secretary or by a court in accordance with the Kansas judicial review act, subject to the limitations of this section.

(d) The secretary shall permit the use of data contained in vital statistical records for research purposes only, but no identifying use of them shall be made. The secretary shall permit the use of birth, death and stillbirth certificates as identifiable data for purposes of maternal and child health surveillance and monitoring. The secretary or the secretary’s designee may interview individuals for purposes of maternal and child health surveillance and monitoring only with an approval of the health and environmental institutional review board as provided in title 45, part 46 of the code of federal regulations. The secretary shall inform such individuals that the participation in such surveillance and monitoring is voluntary and may only be conducted with the written consent of the person who is the subject of the information or with the informed consent of a parent or legal guardian if the person is under 18 years of age. Informed consent is not required if the person who is the subject of the information is deceased.

(e) Subject to the provisions of this section the secretary may direct the state registrar to release birth, death and stillbirth certificate data to federal, state or municipal agencies.

(f) On or before the 20th day of each month, the state registrar shall furnish to the county election officer of each county and the clerk of the district court in each county, without charge, a list of deceased residents of the county who were at least 18 years of age and for whom death certificates have been filed in the office of the state registrar during the preceding calendar month. The list shall include the name, age or date of birth, address and date of death of each of the deceased persons and shall be used solely by the election officer for the purpose of correcting records of their offices and by the clerk of the district court in each county for the purpose of correcting juror information for such county. Information provided under this subsection to the clerk of the district court shall be considered confidential and shall not be disclosed to the public. The provisions of subsection (b) of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 45-229, and amendments thereto, shall not apply to the provisions of this subsection.

(g) No person shall prepare or issue any certificate which purports to be an original, certified copy or abstract or copy of a certificate of birth, death or fetal death, except as authorized in this act or rules and regulations adopted under this act.

(h) Records of births, deaths or marriages which are not in the custody of the secretary of health and environment and which were created before July 1, 1911, pursuant to chapter 129 of the 1885 Session Laws of Kansas, and any copies of such records, shall be open to inspection by any person and the provisions of this section shall not apply to such records.

(i) Social security numbers furnished pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-2409a, and amendments thereto, shall only be used as permitted by title IV-D of the federal social security act, and amendments thereto, or as permitted by section 7(a) of the federal privacy act of 1974, and amendments thereto. The secretary shall make social security numbers furnished pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-2409a, and amendments thereto, available to the Kansas department for children and families for purposes permitted under title IV-D of the federal social security act.

(j) Fact of death information may be disseminated to state and federal agencies administering benefit programs. Such information shall be used for file clearance purposes only.