Bill Text: TX HB1285 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the delegation of death certification to attending physicians in certain counties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-05-05 - Referred to Criminal Justice [HB1285 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB1285-Engrossed.html
| 85R18986 DMS-F | ||
| By: Rose | H.B. No. 1285 | |
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| relating to the delegation of death certification to attending | ||
| physicians in certain counties. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 11a to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 11a. CERTIFICATION OF DEATH BY ATTENDING PHYSICIAN. | ||
| If after conducting an inquest, a medical examiner in a county with | ||
| a population of more than one million determines that a person's | ||
| death is due to natural causes, the medical examiner may delegate, | ||
| with the consent of the physician, the authority to complete the | ||
| medical certification for the person's death and to sign the death | ||
| certificate to: | ||
| (1) the person's attending physician at the time of the | ||
| person's death; or | ||
| (2) another attending physician who treated the person | ||
| during the 12 months preceding the person's death. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 193.005(e), Health and Safety Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (e) A person conducting an inquest required by Chapter 49, | ||
| Code of Criminal Procedure, or an attending physician to whom a | ||
| medical examiner has delegated certification authority as provided | ||
| by Section 11a, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, shall: | ||
| (1) complete the medical certification not later than | ||
| the fifth day after the date [ |
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| or fetal death certificate is received; and | ||
| (2) state on the medical certification the disease | ||
| that caused the death or, if the death was from external causes, the | ||
| means of death and whether the death was probably accidental, | ||
| suicidal, or homicidal, and any other information required by the | ||
| state registrar to properly classify the death. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
