Print
Senate Study Bill 1192 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to medical certification of a suicide on a
2death certificate and providing for licensee discipline.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 144.28, Code 2023, is amended to read as
2follows:
3144.28 Medical certification — licensee discipline.
41. a. For the purposes of this section, “nonnatural cause
5of death”:
6(1) “Nonnatural cause of death”means the death is a
7direct or indirect result of physical, chemical, thermal, or
8electrical trauma, or drug or alcohol intoxication or other
9poisoning, or is a suicide.
10(2) “Suicide” means the act or instance of intentionally
11taking one’s own life.
12b. Unless there is a nonnatural cause of death, the medical
13certification shall be completed and signed by the physician,
14physician assistant, or advanced registered nurse practitioner
15in charge of the patient’s care for the illness or condition
16which resulted in death within seventy-two hours after
17receipt of the death certificate from the funeral director or
18individual who initially assumes custody of the body.
19c. (1) If there is a nonnatural cause of death, the county
20or state medical examiner shall be notified and shall conduct
21an inquiry.
22(2) If the nonnatural cause of death is determined to be
23a suicide, the person completing the medical certification of
24cause of death shall do all of the following:
25(a) List the lethal drug, overdose, or other means of
26suicide that caused or contributed to the death among the chain
27of events under cause of death or under significant conditions
28contributing to death.
29(b) If a lethal drug, overdose, or other means of suicide is
30listed in the chain of events under cause of death, indicate
31suicide as the manner of death.
32d. If the decedent was an infant or child and the cause
33of death is not known, a medical examiner’s inquiry shall be
34conducted and an autopsy performed as necessary to exclude a
35nonnatural cause of death.
-1- 1e. If upon inquiry into a death, the county or state medical
2examiner determines that a preexisting natural disease or
3condition was the likely cause of death and that the death does
4not affect the public interest as described in section 331.802,
5subsection 3, the medical examiner may elect to defer to the
6physician, physician assistant, or advanced registered nurse
7practitioner in charge of the patient’s preexisting condition
8the certification of the cause of death.
9f. When an inquiry is required by the county or state
10medical examiner, the medical examiner shall investigate
11the cause and manner of death and shall complete and sign
12the medical certification within seventy-two hours after
13determination of the cause and manner of death.
142. The person completing the medical certification of cause
15of death shall attest to its accuracy either by signature or by
16an electronic process approved by rule.
173. A person completing the medical certification of cause of
18death who knowingly omits listing a lethal drug, overdose, or
19other means of suicide or improperly states the manner of death
20in violation of this section commits unprofessional conduct and
21is subject to licensee discipline by the appropriate licensing
22board or department.
23EXPLANATION
24The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26This bill relates to information regarding suicide in a
27medical certification for a nonnatural cause of death.
28The bill provides that a nonnatural cause of death, in
29addition to a death that is a direct or indirect result of
30physical, chemical, thermal, or electrical trauma, or drug or
31alcohol intoxication or other poisoning, explicitly includes
32a suicide. Suicide is defined as the act or instance of
33intentionally taking one’s own life.
34Under current law, if there is a nonnatural cause of death,
35the county or state medical examiner shall be notified and
-2-1shall conduct an inquiry. The bill provides that if the
2nonnatural cause of death is determined to be a suicide, the
3person completing the medical certification of cause of death
4shall list the lethal drug, overdose, or other means of suicide
5that caused or contributed to the death among the chain of
6events under cause of death or under significant conditions
7contributing to death; and if a lethal drug, overdose, or other
8means of suicide is listed in the chain of events under cause
9of death, the person shall indicate suicide as the manner of
10death.
11The bill also provides that a person completing the medical
12certification of cause of death who knowingly omits listing a
13lethal drug, overdose, or other means of suicide or improperly
14states the manner of death in violation of this Code section,
15commits unprofessional conduct and is subject to licensee
16discipline by the appropriate licensing board or department.
-3-pf/rh
2death certificate and providing for licensee discipline.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 144.28, Code 2023, is amended to read as
2follows:
3144.28 Medical certification — licensee discipline.
41. a. For the purposes of this section, “nonnatural cause
5of death”:
6(1) “Nonnatural cause of death”means the death is a
7direct or indirect result of physical, chemical, thermal, or
8electrical trauma, or drug or alcohol intoxication or other
9poisoning, or is a suicide.
10(2) “Suicide” means the act or instance of intentionally
11taking one’s own life.
12b. Unless there is a nonnatural cause of death, the medical
13certification shall be completed and signed by the physician,
14physician assistant, or advanced registered nurse practitioner
15in charge of the patient’s care for the illness or condition
16which resulted in death within seventy-two hours after
17receipt of the death certificate from the funeral director or
18individual who initially assumes custody of the body.
19c. (1) If there is a nonnatural cause of death, the county
20or state medical examiner shall be notified and shall conduct
21an inquiry.
22(2) If the nonnatural cause of death is determined to be
23a suicide, the person completing the medical certification of
24cause of death shall do all of the following:
25(a) List the lethal drug, overdose, or other means of
26suicide that caused or contributed to the death among the chain
27of events under cause of death or under significant conditions
28contributing to death.
29(b) If a lethal drug, overdose, or other means of suicide is
30listed in the chain of events under cause of death, indicate
31suicide as the manner of death.
32d. If the decedent was an infant or child and the cause
33of death is not known, a medical examiner’s inquiry shall be
34conducted and an autopsy performed as necessary to exclude a
35nonnatural cause of death.
-1- 1e. If upon inquiry into a death, the county or state medical
2examiner determines that a preexisting natural disease or
3condition was the likely cause of death and that the death does
4not affect the public interest as described in section 331.802,
5subsection 3, the medical examiner may elect to defer to the
6physician, physician assistant, or advanced registered nurse
7practitioner in charge of the patient’s preexisting condition
8the certification of the cause of death.
9f. When an inquiry is required by the county or state
10medical examiner, the medical examiner shall investigate
11the cause and manner of death and shall complete and sign
12the medical certification within seventy-two hours after
13determination of the cause and manner of death.
142. The person completing the medical certification of cause
15of death shall attest to its accuracy either by signature or by
16an electronic process approved by rule.
173. A person completing the medical certification of cause of
18death who knowingly omits listing a lethal drug, overdose, or
19other means of suicide or improperly states the manner of death
20in violation of this section commits unprofessional conduct and
21is subject to licensee discipline by the appropriate licensing
22board or department.
23EXPLANATION
24The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26This bill relates to information regarding suicide in a
27medical certification for a nonnatural cause of death.
28The bill provides that a nonnatural cause of death, in
29addition to a death that is a direct or indirect result of
30physical, chemical, thermal, or electrical trauma, or drug or
31alcohol intoxication or other poisoning, explicitly includes
32a suicide. Suicide is defined as the act or instance of
33intentionally taking one’s own life.
34Under current law, if there is a nonnatural cause of death,
35the county or state medical examiner shall be notified and
-2-1shall conduct an inquiry. The bill provides that if the
2nonnatural cause of death is determined to be a suicide, the
3person completing the medical certification of cause of death
4shall list the lethal drug, overdose, or other means of suicide
5that caused or contributed to the death among the chain of
6events under cause of death or under significant conditions
7contributing to death; and if a lethal drug, overdose, or other
8means of suicide is listed in the chain of events under cause
9of death, the person shall indicate suicide as the manner of
10death.
11The bill also provides that a person completing the medical
12certification of cause of death who knowingly omits listing a
13lethal drug, overdose, or other means of suicide or improperly
14states the manner of death in violation of this Code section,
15commits unprofessional conduct and is subject to licensee
16discipline by the appropriate licensing board or department.
-3-pf/rh