Senate File 415 - Introduced SENATE FILE 415 BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1039) A BILL FOR An Act allowing an advanced registered nurse practitioner and a 1 physician assistant to sign a death certificate. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1883SV (3) 84 jr/nh
S.F. 415 Section 1. Section 142C.8, subsection 10, Code 2011, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 10. The physician , advanced registered nurse practitioner, 3 or physician assistant who attends the decedent at death and 4 the physician , advanced registered nurse practitioner, or 5 physician assistant who determines the time of death shall not 6 participate in the procedures for removing or transplanting a 7 part from the decedent. 8 Sec. 2. Section 144.26, subsection 1, Code 2011, is amended 9 to read as follows: 10 1. a. A death certificate for each death which occurs 11 in this state shall be filed as directed by the state 12 registrar within three days after the death and prior to final 13 disposition, and shall be registered by the county registrar 14 if it has been completed and filed in accordance with this 15 chapter . A death certificate shall include the social security 16 number, if provided, of the deceased person. All information 17 including the certifying physician’s , advanced registered 18 nurse practitioner’s, or physician assistant’s name shall be 19 typewritten , unless submitted electronically . 20 b. An advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician 21 assistant authorized to certify a death shall be licensed in 22 this state; shall have been in charge of the deceased patient’s 23 care; and shall have successfully completed a training 24 course relating to the preparation and completion of a death 25 certificate which has been approved by the department of public 26 health by rule. 27 Sec. 3. Section 144.28, subsection 1, paragraphs b and e, 28 Code 2011, are amended to read as follows: 29 b. Unless there is a nonnatural cause of death, the medical 30 certification shall be completed and signed by the physician , 31 advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant 32 in charge of the patient’s care for the illness or condition 33 which resulted in death within seventy-two hours after 34 receipt of the death certificate from the funeral director or 35 -1- LSB 1883SV (3) 84 jr/nh 1/ 2
S.F. 415 individual who initially assumes custody of the body. 1 e. If upon inquiry into a death, the county or state medical 2 examiner determines that a preexisting natural disease or 3 condition was the likely cause of death and that the death does 4 not affect the public interest as described in section 331.802, 5 subsection 3 , the medical examiner may elect to defer to the 6 physician , advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician 7 assistant in charge of the patient’s preexisting condition the 8 certification of the cause of death. 9 EXPLANATION 10 This bill allows an advanced registered nurse practitioner 11 or a physician assistant to sign a death certificate, unless 12 there is a nonnatural cause of death. The bill requires such 13 persons to be licensed in Iowa, have been in charge of the 14 deceased patient’s care, and have successfully completed a 15 training course relating to death certificates. 16 -2- LSB 1883SV (3) 84 jr/nh 2/ 2