California 2013 2013-2014 Regular Session

California Assembly Bill AB1288 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/22/2013

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1288INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member V. Manuel Prez 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 Prez. 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  certificate; he   certificate. He  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  ,  one or more other physicians and surgeons who have access to the physician and surgeon's records  ,  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.