The bill amends section 2843 of the Public Health Code to clarify the responsibilities of funeral directors regarding the reporting and certification of deaths. It specifies that a funeral director, or their authorized agent, must report a death and obtain necessary personal data from the next of kin or the best available source. The bill mandates that medical certification of the death must be completed within 48 hours by the attending physician or designated representatives, and it introduces the requirement that the death record must be certified by a licensed funeral director and filed with the local registrar within 72 hours.

Additionally, the bill addresses the reporting of deaths of infants who were born alive following an attempted abortion and later died. It stipulates that such cases must be reported similarly to other deaths, but the deceased infant will be listed as "Baby Doe," and specific identifying information about the infant and their parents must not be disclosed. The bill also includes provisions for penalties for physicians who neglect or refuse to certify a death record. The amendments take effect 90 days after enactment and are contingent upon the passage of related legislation.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 333.2843