CS/HB 1067

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to death and fetal death registration;
3amending s. 382.008, F.S.; providing for physician
4assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners to
5provide certification of death or fetal death under
6certain conditions; requiring the supervising physician to
7verify the certification within a specified timeframe;
8providing an effective date.
9
10Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12     Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
13382.008, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (c) is
14added to subsection (3) of that section, to read:
15     382.008  Death and fetal death registration.-
16     (2)(a)  The funeral director who first assumes custody of a
17dead body or fetus shall file the certificate of death or fetal
18death. In the absence of the funeral director, the physician,
19physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or
20other person in attendance at or after the death shall file the
21certificate of death or fetal death. The person who files the
22certificate shall obtain personal data from the next of kin or
23the best qualified person or source available. The medical
24certification of cause of death shall be furnished to the
25funeral director, either in person or via certified mail, by the
26physician, physician assistant, advanced registered nurse
27practitioner, or medical examiner responsible for furnishing
28such information. For fetal deaths, the physician, physician
29assistant, midwife, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or
30hospital administrator shall provide any medical or health
31information to the funeral director within 72 hours after
32expulsion or extraction.
33     (3)  Within 72 hours after receipt of a death or fetal
34death certificate from the funeral director, the medical
35certification of cause of death shall be completed and made
36available to the funeral director by the physician in charge of
37the decedent's care for the illness or condition which resulted
38in death, the physician in attendance at the time of death or
39fetal death or immediately before or after such death or fetal
40death, or the medical examiner if the provisions of s. 382.011
41apply. The physician or medical examiner shall certify over his
42or her signature the cause of death to the best of his or her
43knowledge and belief.
44     (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a
45physician assistant or advanced registered nurse practitioner,
46upon specific written or oral authorization from the physician
47with whom the physician assistant or advanced registered nurse
48practitioner has a signed protocol or supervisory relationship,
49may complete the medical certification of cause of death. The
50physician must sign this certification in writing within 24
51hours after the certification of death is completed and place
52the certification in the decedent's medical records.
53     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


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