California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1288

Introduced by Assembly Member V. Manuel Pérez

February 22, 2013

An act to amend Section 102825 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to death certificates.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1288, as introduced, V. Manuel Pérez. Death certificates: duties of a physician and surgeon.

Existing law requires that each death be registered with the local registrar of births and deaths in the district in which the death was officially pronounced or the body was found. Existing law requires the physician and surgeon last in attendance to complete and attest to the medical and health section data and the time of death on the certificate of death, except as specified. Existing law also requires that the physician and surgeon last in attendance state on the certificate of death the disease or condition directly leading to death, antecedent causes, or other significant conditions contributing to death, as specified.

This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that provision.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 102825 of the Health and Safety Code
is amended to read:

102825.  

The physician and surgeon last in attendance, or in
the case of a patient in a skilled nursing or intermediate care facility
at the time of death, the physician and surgeon last in attendance
or a licensed physician assistant under the supervision of the
physician and surgeon last in attendance, on a deceased person
shall state on the certificate of death the disease or condition
directly leading to death, antecedent causes, other significant
conditions contributing to death and any other medical and health
section data as may be required on the begin delete certificate; he end delete begin insert certificate.
He end insert or she shall also specify the time in attendance, the time he or
she last saw the deceased person alive, and the hour and day on
which death occurred, except in deaths required to be investigated
by the coroner. The physician and surgeon or physician assistant
shall specifically indicate the existence of any cancer as defined
in subdivision (e) of Section 103885, of which the physician and
surgeon or physician assistant has actual knowledge.

A physician and surgeon may designate begin delete , end delete one or more other
physicians and surgeons who have access to the physician and
surgeon’s records begin delete , end delete to act as agent for the physician and surgeon
for purposes of the performance of his or her duties under this
section, provided that any person so designated acts in consultation
with the physician and surgeon.