House File 87
HOUSE FILE
BY MURPHY
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the determination of time of death and signing
2 of the death certificate by an advanced registered nurse
3 practitioner.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 1841HH 80
6 rn/sh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 142C.2, Code 2003, is amended by adding
1 2 the following new subsection:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 0A. "Advanced registered nurse
1 4 practitioner" means a registered nurse licensed pursuant to
1 5 chapter 152 or licensed in another state and recognized for
1 6 licensure in this state pursuant to the nurse licensure
1 7 compact contained in chapter 152E, who has completed an
1 8 advanced formal academic nursing education program in a
1 9 specialty area approved by the board of nursing, and who meets
1 10 additional qualification criteria as determined by the board
1 11 of nursing by rule.
1 12 Sec. 2. Section 142C.6, subsection 2, Code 2003, is
1 13 amended to read as follows:
1 14 2. If an anatomical gift is made to a designated donee,
1 15 the document of gift, or a copy, may be delivered to the donee
1 16 to expedite the appropriate procedures after the death of the
1 17 donor. The document of gift, or a copy, may be deposited in
1 18 any hospital, organ procurement organization, bank or storage
1 19 organization, or donor registry office that accepts the
1 20 document of gift for safekeeping or for the facilitation of
1 21 procedures after the death of the donor. If a document is
1 22 deposited by a donor in a hospital, donor registry, or bank or
1 23 storage organization, the hospital or bank or storage
1 24 organization may forward the document to an organ procurement
1 25 organization which will retain the document for facilitating
1 26 procedures following the death of the donor. Upon request of
1 27 a hospital, physician, or surgeon, or advanced registered
1 28 nurse practitioner, upon or after the donor's death, the
1 29 person in possession of the document of gift may allow the
1 30 hospital, physician, or surgeon, or advanced registered nurse
1 31 practitioner, to examine or copy the document of gift.
1 32 Sec. 3. Section 142C.8, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2003,
1 33 are amended to read as follows:
1 34 3. The time of death shall be determined by a physician or
1 35 advanced registered nurse practitioner who attends the donor
2 1 at death, as defined in section 702.8, or, if no attending
2 2 physician or advanced registered nurse practitioner is
2 3 present, the physician or advanced registered nurse
2 4 practitioner who certifies the death. The physician or
2 5 advanced registered nurse practitioner who attends the donor
2 6 at death and the physician or advanced registered nurse
2 7 practitioner who certifies the time of death shall not
2 8 participate in the procedures for removing or transplanting a
2 9 part of the decedent. A medical examiner acting to determine
2 10 the time of death or to certify the death, however, may remove
2 11 a part if otherwise in accordance with this chapter.
2 12 4. If an anatomical gift is made, a physician or
2 13 technician may remove any donated parts and an enucleator may
2 14 remove any donated eyes or parts of eyes, after determination
2 15 of death by a physician or advanced registered nurse
2 16 practitioner.
2 17 Sec. 4. Section 144.26, subsection 1, Code 2003, is
2 18 amended to read as follows:
2 19 1. A death certificate for each death which occurs in this
2 20 state shall be filed as directed by the state registrar within
2 21 three days after the death and prior to final disposition, and
2 22 shall be registered by the county registrar if it has been
2 23 completed and filed in accordance with this chapter. A death
2 24 certificate shall include the social security number, if
2 25 provided, of the deceased person. All information including
2 26 the certifying physician's or advanced registered nurse
2 27 practitioner's name shall be typewritten.
2 28 Sec. 5. Section 144.28, subsection 1, Code 2003, is
2 29 amended to read as follows:
2 30 1. The medical certification shall be completed and signed
2 31 by the physician or advanced registered nurse practitioner in
2 32 charge of the patient's care for the illness or condition
2 33 which resulted in death within seventy=two hours after receipt
2 34 of the death certificate from the funeral director or
2 35 individual who initially assumes custody of the body, except
3 1 when inquiry is required by the county medical examiner. When
3 2 inquiry is required by the county medical examiner, the
3 3 medical examiner shall investigate the cause of death and
3 4 shall complete and sign the medical certification within
3 5 seventy=two hours after determination of the cause of death.
3 6 Sec. 6. Section 144.31, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2003,
3 7 is amended to read as follows:
3 8 The medical certification shall be completed within twenty=
3 9 four hours after delivery by the physician or advanced
3 10 registered nurse practitioner in attendance at or after
3 11 delivery except when inquiry is required by the county medical
3 12 examiner.
3 13 EXPLANATION
3 14 This bill provides for authorization for the determination
3 15 of time of death and signing of a death certificate by an
3 16 advanced registered nurse practitioner. The bill defines an
3 17 "advanced registered nurse practitioner" as a registered nurse
3 18 licensed pursuant to Code chapter 152 or licensed in another
3 19 state and recognized for licensure in this state pursuant to
3 20 the nurse licensure compact contained in Code chapter 152E,
3 21 who has completed an advanced formal academic nursing
3 22 education program in a specialty area approved by the board of
3 23 nursing, and who meets additional qualification criteria as
3 24 determined by the board of nursing by rule. The bill provides
3 25 for the addition of advanced registered nurse practitioners to
3 26 current Code sections authorizing the determination of the
3 27 time of death and signing of a death certificate by a
3 28 physician. Specifically, the bill authorizes an advanced
3 29 registered nurse practitioner to examine or copy a document of
3 30 anatomical gift upon the death of an organ donor, and that in
3 31 addition to a physician, the time of death may be determined
3 32 by, and certificate of death signed by, an advanced registered
3 33 nurse practitioner who attends the donor at death. The bill
3 34 also provides for certification of a fetal death by an
3 35 advanced registered nurse practitioner.
4 1 LSB 1841HH 80
4 2 rn/sh/8