S.F. 2254 Section 1. Section 144.26, Code 2024, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 144.26 Death certificate. 3 1. a. A death certificate for each death which occurs 4 in this state shall be filed as directed by the state 5 registrar within three days after the death and prior to final 6 disposition, and shall be registered by the county registrar 7 if it has been completed and filed in accordance with this 8 chapter . A death certificate shall include the social security 9 number, if provided, of the deceased person. All information 10 including the certifying physician’s, physician assistant’s, 11 or advanced registered nurse practitioner’s name shall be 12 typewritten. 13 b. A physician assistant or an advanced registered nurse 14 practitioner authorized to sign a death certificate shall be 15 licensed in this state and shall have been in charge of the 16 deceased patient’s care. 17 2. All information included on a death certificate may be 18 provided as mutually agreed upon by the state registrar and 19 child support services, including by automated exchange. 20 3. a. The county in which a dead body is found is the 21 county of death. If death occurs in a moving conveyance, 22 the county in which the dead body is first removed from the 23 conveyance is the county of death. 24 b. If a decedent died outside of the county of the 25 decedent’s residence, the state registrar shall send a copy 26 of the decedent’s death certificate and any amendments to the 27 county registrar of the county of the decedent’s residence. 28 The county registrar shall record a death certificate received 29 pursuant to this paragraph in the same records in which the 30 death certificate of a decedent who died within the county 31 is recorded. The state registrar may provide the county 32 registrars with electronic access to vital records in lieu of 33 the requirements of this paragraph. 34 4. The department shall provide for correction and 35 -1- LSB 6123XS (2) 90 pf/ko 1/ 3

S.F. 2254 substitution of a death certificate if evidence substantiating 1 the correction or substitution is presented to the state 2 registrar within twelve months of the filing of the death 3 certificate. The death certificate shall be marked “amended” 4 and comply with other requirements pursuant to sections 144.38 5 and 144.41. 6 4. 5. a. The department shall establish by rule procedures 7 for making a finding of presumption of death when no body 8 can be found. The department shall also provide by rule 9 the responsibility for completing and signing the medical 10 certification of cause of death in such circumstances. The 11 presumptive death certificate shall be in a form prescribed by 12 the state registrar and filed in the county where the death was 13 presumed to occur. 14 b. The department shall provide for the correction, 15 substitution, or removal of a presumptive death certificate 16 when the body of the person is later found, additional facts 17 are discovered, or the person is discovered to be alive. 18 6. The department, in consultation with the state medical 19 examiner, county medical examiners, the university of Iowa 20 hospitals and clinics, the board of mortuary science, and 21 the department of veterans affairs, shall implement training 22 standards for individuals with a duty related to a death 23 certificate to ensure the accurate completion and filing of a 24 medical certification of death and a death certificate. 25 5. 7. Upon the activation of an electronic death record 26 system, each person with a duty related to death certificates 27 shall participate in the electronic death record system. A 28 person with a duty related to a death certificate includes but 29 is not limited to a physician as defined in section 135.1 , a 30 physician assistant, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, 31 a funeral director, and a county recorder. 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -2- LSB 6123XS (2) 90 pf/ko 2/ 3

S.F. 2254 This bill relates to the accurate completion and the 1 correction of death certificates. 2 The bill provides that the department of health and 3 human services (HHS) shall provide for the correction and 4 substitution of a death certificate when substantiated evidence 5 of a mistake is presented to the state registrar within 12 6 months of the filing of the death certificate. The death 7 certificate shall be marked “amended” and comply with other 8 requirements pursuant to Code sections 144.38 (amendment of 9 official record) and 144.41 (amending local records). 10 The bill also requires HHS, in consultation with the state 11 medical examiner, county medical examiners, the university of 12 Iowa hospitals and clinics, the board of mortuary science, 13 and the department of veterans affairs, to implement training 14 standards for individuals with a duty related to a death 15 certificate to ensure the accurate completion and filing of a 16 medical certification of death and a death certificate. 17 -3- LSB 6123XS (2) 90 pf/ko 3/ 3