Death certificates.

Assembly Member Pellerin's legislation expands California's death certificate system by authorizing nurse practitioners to complete and attest to death certificates alongside physicians and physician assistants starting July 1, 2026. The bill modifies multiple sections of the Health and Safety Code to grant nurse practitioners the authority to certify causes of death, submit fetal death certificates, and amend vital records.

Under the new provisions, nurse practitioners who were last in attendance can document medical information, time of death, and contributing factors on death certificates. The legislation maintains existing requirements for notifying coroners in cases involving potential criminal activity, suicide, accidents, or deaths without medical attendance. Nurse practitioners must follow the same 15-hour timeline as physicians for completing and submitting death certificate documentation.

The bill preserves current protocols for recording gender identity on death certificates, requiring documentation to reflect the decedent's identity as indicated by official documents or as reported by next of kin. It also retains provisions allowing electronic signatures and other approved authentication methods for death certificate submissions by authorized medical professionals.

By expanding certification authority to nurse practitioners while maintaining existing standards and safeguards, the legislation aims to increase efficiency in death certificate processing without compromising accuracy or oversight. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, with previous code sections repealed January 1, 2027 to enable an orderly transition.