Senate Bill 1597 amends Tennessee law regarding the definition of "next of kin" in relation to death certificates. The bill clarifies that "next of kin" includes the person with the highest priority as per existing law, as well as a surviving parent of the decedent. This change is reflected in the amendment to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-3-502(i)(9), where the previous definition is deleted and replaced with the new language.

Additionally, the bill modifies the provisions for who can request a death certificate by amending Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-3-205. The new language specifies that requests can be made by the decedent's spouse, child, parent, or other next of kin, as well as the other parent of a minor child of the decedent, or an authorized representative of these individuals. This amendment aims to ensure that the appropriate family members have access to vital records while maintaining the integrity of the process. The act is set to take effect upon becoming law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 68-3-502(i)(9), 68-3-502, 68-3-205