Final answer:
Health care practitioners, alongside local officials such as county clerks, are responsible for gathering and filing vital statistics for state and federal governments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Health care practitioners are responsible for gathering and filing many of the vital statistics collected by the states and the federal government. Vital statistics such as marriage, birth, and death certificates are typically considered the purview of local officials such as county clerks who certify election results and maintain official records. The collection and reporting of this data are essential for tracking public health trends, conducting epidemiological studies, and allocating resources for various public services.