IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
SAN ANTONIO DIVISION CLEOPATRA DE LEON, NICOLE DIMETMAN, VICTOR
HOLMES,and MARK PHARISS, Plaintiffs, v. GREG ABBOTT, in his
official capacity as Governor of the State of Texas, KEN PAXTON, in
his official capacity as Texas Attorney General, GERARD RICKHOFF,
in his official capacity as Bexar County Clerk, and KIRK COLE, in
his official capacity as Interim Commissioner of the Texas
Department of State Health Services Defendants. CIVIL ACTION NO.
5:13-CV-982-0LG DECLARATION OF BARBARA LAUREL KLEIN My name is
Barbara Laurel Klein and Iam over the age of 18 and fully competent
to make this declaration and state the following:
1.IamaDeputyGeneralCounselfortheDepartmentof StateHealth Services.
2.On August12,2015,theDepartment of StateHealthServicesissued
anActionMemorandumimplementingchangestovitalrecordsfor
vitaleventsincompliancewiththeU.S.SupremeCourtrulingin
Obergefellv.HodgesandtheU.S.DistrictCourtrulingin DeLeonv. Abbott,
regarding recognition of same-sex couples. 1 Case 5:l3-cv-00982-OLG
Document ll4-l Filed 08/l2/l5 Page l of
73.AttachedasExhibitAisatrueandcorrectcopyoftheAction Memorandum.
4.TheCourthasorderedDefendantstoalsosubmitanadvisoryby August
24,2015 regarding pending applications.(Dkt.#113.)With the
adoptionoftheattachedActionMemorandum,theDepartmenthas begun
issuing death certificate amendments. 5.The processing of software
modifications by the third-party vendor that
hoststheplatformforvitalrecordswilltakeadditionaltime,which
willimpacttheissuanceofbirthcertificates.Untilthatchangeis
made,thoserequestingabirthcertificatelistingparentsof thesame sex
may choose either to (1)obtain the standard birth certificate
listing "mother" and "father"as wellas an amendment to the birth
certificate
oncethesoftwaremodificationiscomplete;or(2)obtainanoriginal
birthcertificateallowingfortheparentstobeidentifiedas"mother,"
"father"or"parent"oncethesoftwaremodificationiscomplete.The
Departmenthasinvestigatedotheroptions,noneofwhichappear viableother
than themodificationsdescribedabove,but willcontinue to explore
other alternatives.
6.TheDepartmenthashadmultipletelephoneconferenceswiththe vendor
sofar,regarding the required changes.The vendor is working
towarddevelopinganexpectedtimelinetocompletethesoftware
modification. 2 Case 5:l3-cv-00982-OLG Document ll4-l Filed
08/l2/l5 Page 2 of 77.For pending requests of which the Department
is currently aware,the
Departmentwillbeginissuingqualifyingdeathrecordsandcontact
requestors of qualifying birth records, to advise them of their
available options to obtain their records. Pursuant to28U.S.C.
1746,Ideclareunder penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true
and correct. Executed this 12th day of August, 2015. Barbara Laurel
Klein 3 Case 5:l3-cv-00982-OLG Document ll4-l Filed 08/l2/l5 Page 3
of 7Exhibit A - Page 1 of 4Case 5:l3-cv-00982-OLG Document ll4-l
Filed 08/l2/l5 Page 4 of 7Exhibit A - Page 2 of 4Case
5:l3-cv-00982-OLG Document ll4-l Filed 08/l2/l5 Page 5 of 7Exhibit
A - Page 3 of 4Case 5:l3-cv-00982-OLG Document ll4-l Filed 08/l2/l5
Page 6 of 7Exhibit A - Page 4 of 4Case 5:l3-cv-00982-OLG Document
ll4-l Filed 08/l2/l5 Page 7 of 7