Bill Text: IA SSB1192 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to medical certification of a suicide on a death certificate and providing for licensee discipline.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-27 - Subcommittee: Taylor, J., De Witt, and Petersen. [SSB1192 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-SSB1192-Introduced.html
Senate
Study
Bill
1192
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
ZAUN)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
medical
certification
of
a
suicide
on
a
1
death
certificate
and
providing
for
licensee
discipline.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
Section
144.28,
Code
2023,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
144.28
Medical
certification
——
licensee
discipline
.
3
1.
a.
For
the
purposes
of
this
section
,
“nonnatural
cause
4
of
death”
:
5
(1)
“Nonnatural
cause
of
death”
means
the
death
is
a
6
direct
or
indirect
result
of
physical,
chemical,
thermal,
or
7
electrical
trauma,
or
drug
or
alcohol
intoxication
or
other
8
poisoning
,
or
is
a
suicide
.
9
(2)
“Suicide”
means
the
act
or
instance
of
intentionally
10
taking
one’s
own
life.
11
b.
Unless
there
is
a
nonnatural
cause
of
death,
the
medical
12
certification
shall
be
completed
and
signed
by
the
physician,
13
physician
assistant,
or
advanced
registered
nurse
practitioner
14
in
charge
of
the
patient’s
care
for
the
illness
or
condition
15
which
resulted
in
death
within
seventy-two
hours
after
16
receipt
of
the
death
certificate
from
the
funeral
director
or
17
individual
who
initially
assumes
custody
of
the
body.
18
c.
(1)
If
there
is
a
nonnatural
cause
of
death,
the
county
19
or
state
medical
examiner
shall
be
notified
and
shall
conduct
20
an
inquiry.
21
(2)
If
the
nonnatural
cause
of
death
is
determined
to
be
22
a
suicide,
the
person
completing
the
medical
certification
of
23
cause
of
death
shall
do
all
of
the
following:
24
(a)
List
the
lethal
drug,
overdose,
or
other
means
of
25
suicide
that
caused
or
contributed
to
the
death
among
the
chain
26
of
events
under
cause
of
death
or
under
significant
conditions
27
contributing
to
death.
28
(b)
If
a
lethal
drug,
overdose,
or
other
means
of
suicide
is
29
listed
in
the
chain
of
events
under
cause
of
death,
indicate
30
suicide
as
the
manner
of
death.
31
d.
If
the
decedent
was
an
infant
or
child
and
the
cause
32
of
death
is
not
known,
a
medical
examiner’s
inquiry
shall
be
33
conducted
and
an
autopsy
performed
as
necessary
to
exclude
a
34
nonnatural
cause
of
death.
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e.
If
upon
inquiry
into
a
death,
the
county
or
state
medical
1
examiner
determines
that
a
preexisting
natural
disease
or
2
condition
was
the
likely
cause
of
death
and
that
the
death
does
3
not
affect
the
public
interest
as
described
in
section
331.802,
4
subsection
3
,
the
medical
examiner
may
elect
to
defer
to
the
5
physician,
physician
assistant,
or
advanced
registered
nurse
6
practitioner
in
charge
of
the
patient’s
preexisting
condition
7
the
certification
of
the
cause
of
death.
8
f.
When
an
inquiry
is
required
by
the
county
or
state
9
medical
examiner,
the
medical
examiner
shall
investigate
10
the
cause
and
manner
of
death
and
shall
complete
and
sign
11
the
medical
certification
within
seventy-two
hours
after
12
determination
of
the
cause
and
manner
of
death.
13
2.
The
person
completing
the
medical
certification
of
cause
14
of
death
shall
attest
to
its
accuracy
either
by
signature
or
by
15
an
electronic
process
approved
by
rule.
16
3.
A
person
completing
the
medical
certification
of
cause
of
17
death
who
knowingly
omits
listing
a
lethal
drug,
overdose,
or
18
other
means
of
suicide
or
improperly
states
the
manner
of
death
19
in
violation
of
this
section
commits
unprofessional
conduct
and
20
is
subject
to
licensee
discipline
by
the
appropriate
licensing
21
board
or
department.
22
EXPLANATION
23
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
24
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
25
This
bill
relates
to
information
regarding
suicide
in
a
26
medical
certification
for
a
nonnatural
cause
of
death.
27
The
bill
provides
that
a
nonnatural
cause
of
death,
in
28
addition
to
a
death
that
is
a
direct
or
indirect
result
of
29
physical,
chemical,
thermal,
or
electrical
trauma,
or
drug
or
30
alcohol
intoxication
or
other
poisoning,
explicitly
includes
31
a
suicide.
Suicide
is
defined
as
the
act
or
instance
of
32
intentionally
taking
one’s
own
life.
33
Under
current
law,
if
there
is
a
nonnatural
cause
of
death,
34
the
county
or
state
medical
examiner
shall
be
notified
and
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shall
conduct
an
inquiry.
The
bill
provides
that
if
the
1
nonnatural
cause
of
death
is
determined
to
be
a
suicide,
the
2
person
completing
the
medical
certification
of
cause
of
death
3
shall
list
the
lethal
drug,
overdose,
or
other
means
of
suicide
4
that
caused
or
contributed
to
the
death
among
the
chain
of
5
events
under
cause
of
death
or
under
significant
conditions
6
contributing
to
death;
and
if
a
lethal
drug,
overdose,
or
other
7
means
of
suicide
is
listed
in
the
chain
of
events
under
cause
8
of
death,
the
person
shall
indicate
suicide
as
the
manner
of
9
death.
10
The
bill
also
provides
that
a
person
completing
the
medical
11
certification
of
cause
of
death
who
knowingly
omits
listing
a
12
lethal
drug,
overdose,
or
other
means
of
suicide
or
improperly
13
states
the
manner
of
death
in
violation
of
this
Code
section,
14
commits
unprofessional
conduct
and
is
subject
to
licensee
15
discipline
by
the
appropriate
licensing
board
or
department.
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