HB 1851 — An Act amending the act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), known as the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, in general provisions, further providing for definitions; and, in death and fetal death registration, further providing for information for certificates and for coroner referrals.

PRINTER'S NO.    2297

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1851
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY CURRY, HILL-EVANS, WAXMAN, GUZMAN, PIELLI, OTTEN,
        CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, CERRATO, PROBST, BOROWSKI, RIVERA, MAYES,
        HOHENSTEIN, SHUSTERMAN AND SANCHEZ, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), entitled "An
 2      act providing for the administration of a statewide system of
 3      vital statistics; prescribing the functions of the State
 4      Department of Health, the State Advisory Health Board and
 5      local registrars; imposing duties upon coroners,
 6      prothonotaries, clerks of orphans' court, physicians,
 7      midwives and other persons; requiring reports and
 8      certificates for the registration of vital statistics;
 9      regulating the disposition of dead bodies; limiting the
10      disclosure of records; prescribing the sufficiency of vital
11      statistics records as evidence; prescribing fees and
12      penalties; and revising and consolidating the laws relating
13      thereto," in death and fetal death registration, further
14      providing for information for certificates.
15      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16   hereby enacts as follows:
17      Section 1.    Section 502(2) and (3) of the act of June 29,
18   1953 (P.L.304, No.66), known as the Vital Statistics Law of
19   1953, are amended to read:
20      Section 502.    Death and Fetal Death Registration: Information
21   for Certificates.--In preparing a certificate of death or fetal
22   death, the person in charge of interment or of removal of a dead
23   body or fetal remains from the registration district shall
 1   obtain the required information. The following persons shall
 2   supply the information certified by their respective signatures:
 3      * * *
 4      (2)     Subject to the limitation contained in clause (3), the
 5   medical certification, except in the event of a referral to the
 6   coroner pursuant to section five hundred three of this act,
 7   shall be supplied (i) in the case of a death, by the physician,
 8   certified registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant
 9   or (ii) dentist who is a staff member of an approved hospital
10   who attended the deceased during the last illness, provided the
11   death occurs in the hospital and the deceased had been admitted
12   on the dental service, and (iii) in the case of a fetal death,
13   by the attending physician, certified registered nurse
14   practitioner [or], physician assistant or certified nurse
15   midwife.
16      (3)     In all cases where the physician, certified registered
17   nurse practitioner, physician assistant, certified nurse midwife
18   or dentist who would otherwise supply the medical certification
19   is a member of the immediate family of the deceased, the case
20   shall be referred to another physician, certified registered
21   nurse practitioner, physician assistant, certified nurse midwife
22   or dentist who qualifies under clause (2) for a medical
23   certification. In the event a qualified alternate physician,
24   certified registered nurse practitioner, physician assistant,
25   certified nurse midwife or dentist is unavailable or unwilling
26   to provide the medical certification required by law, the case
27   shall be referred to the coroner of the county wherein the death
28   occurred or to a coroner of an adjacent county. In no event
29   shall a coroner sign a certificate of death or fetal death for a
30   deceased who was a member of his immediate family.

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1     Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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