Death certificates.

Assembly Member Pellerin's death certificate legislation expands the authority to complete and attest to death records in California to licensed nurse practitioners, who would join physicians and surgeons in certifying medical information and time of death. The bill maintains existing certification timelines while adding nurse practitioners to the list of medical professionals required to notify coroners about deaths involving specific circumstances like suspected suicide or criminal activity.

The legislation establishes protocols for recording gender identity on death certificates, requiring documentation through official records like birth certificates, driver's licenses, or court orders when available. In cases where such documents are not present, the bill outlines a process for resolving disagreements among those with rights to control the disposition of remains. Medical professionals completing certificates in accordance with these gender identity provisions receive liability protection.

For deaths occurring in skilled nursing or intermediate care facilities, the bill preserves the existing authority of physician assistants to certify death information when operating under physician supervision and having seen the patient within 72 hours of death. The legislation also maintains requirements around cancer reporting and pregnancy status documentation, while allowing for electronic signatures and modernized record-keeping methods approved by the State Registrar.