HB 1299

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to death and fetal death registration;
3	amending s. 382.008, F.S.; providing for advanced
4	registered nurse practitioners to provide certification of
5	death or fetal death; providing an effective date.
6
7	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
8
9	Section 1.  Subsections (2), (3), (4), and (5) of section
10	382.008, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
11	382.008  Death and fetal death registration.--
12	(2)(a)  The funeral director who first assumes custody of a
13	dead body or fetus shall file the certificate of death or fetal
14	death. In the absence of the funeral director, the physician,
15	advanced registered nurse practitioner, or other person in
16	attendance at or after the death shall file the certificate of
17	death or fetal death. The person who files the certificate shall
18	obtain personal data from the next of kin or the best qualified
19	person or source available. The medical certification of cause
20	of death shall be furnished to the funeral director, either in
21	person or via certified mail, by the physician, advanced
22	registered nurse practitioner, or medical examiner responsible
23	for furnishing such information. For fetal deaths, the
24	physician, midwife, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or
25	hospital administrator shall provide any medical or health
26	information to the funeral director within 72 hours after
27	expulsion or extraction.
28	(b)  The State Registrar may receive electronically a
29	certificate of death or fetal death which is required to be
30	filed with the registrar under this chapter through facsimile or
31	other electronic transfer for the purpose of filing the
32	certificate. The receipt of a certificate of death or fetal
33	death by electronic transfer constitutes delivery to the State
34	Registrar as required by law.
35	(3)  Within 72 hours after receipt of a death or fetal
36	death certificate from the funeral director, the medical
37	certification of cause of death shall be completed and made
38	available to the funeral director by the physician or advanced
39	registered nurse practitioner in charge of the decedent's care
40	for the illness or condition which resulted in death, the
41	physician or advanced registered nurse practitioner in
42	attendance at the time of death or fetal death or immediately
43	before or after such death or fetal death, or the medical
44	examiner if the provisions of s. 382.011 apply. The physician,
45	advanced registered nurse practitioner, or medical examiner
46	shall certify over his or her signature the cause of death to
47	the best of his or her knowledge and belief.
48	(a)  The local registrar may grant the funeral director an
49	extension of time upon a good and sufficient showing of any of
50	the following conditions:
51	1.  An autopsy is pending.
52	2.  Toxicology, laboratory, or other diagnostic reports
53	have not been completed.
54	3.  The identity of the decedent is unknown and further
55	investigation or identification is required.
56	(b)  If the physician, advanced registered nurse
57	practitioner, or medical examiner has indicated that he or she
58	will sign and complete the medical certification of cause of
59	death, but will not be available until after the 5-day
60	registration deadline, the local registrar may grant an
61	extension of 5 days. If a further extension is required, the
62	funeral director must provide written justification to the
63	registrar.
64	(4)  If the local registrar has granted an extension of
65	time to provide the medical certification of cause of death, the
66	funeral director shall file a temporary certificate of death or
67	fetal death which shall contain all available information,
68	including the fact that the cause of death is pending. The
69	physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or medical
70	examiner shall provide an estimated date for completion of the
71	permanent certificate.
72	(5)  A permanent certificate of death or fetal death,
73	containing the cause of death and any other information which
74	was previously unavailable, shall be registered as a replacement
75	for the temporary certificate. The permanent certificate may
76	also include corrected information if the items being corrected
77	are noted on the back of the certificate and dated and signed by
78	the funeral director, physician, advanced registered nurse
79	practitioner, or medical examiner, as appropriate.
80	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.